Federal authorities are investigating the origins and funding sources of the recent wave of violent protests that began in Los Angeles and have since spread across the country.

The FBI confirmed it is examining potential financial connections behind the demonstrations, which escalated into full-scale riots over the weekend following immigration enforcement operations.

FBI Director Kash Patel stated in a message to Just the News, “The FBI is investigating any and all monetary connections responsible for these riots.”

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What began as peaceful protests in response to immigration raids in Los Angeles late last week quickly escalated.

Over the weekend, more than 1,000 individuals were involved in assaults on immigration officers, arson of autonomous vehicles, looting, highway shutdowns, and attacks on law enforcement with concrete projectiles.

Images circulated widely showing rioters waving foreign flags, including those of Mexico, while vehicles burned in the background.

Wow. Incredible video footage of a rioter in LA waving a Mexican flag & wearing a HAMAS arm band in front of a WAYMO that was set on fire to protest ICE.

There are many Islamic jihadists who have teamed up with Mexican illegal aliens in a major US city. pic.twitter.com/P8HL1GS3bg

— Laura Loomer (@LauraLoomer) June 9, 2025

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The violence drew attention from the Trump administration and congressional Republicans.

Resurfaced footage of Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum’s remarks from the previous month also sparked concern.

Sheinbaum had threatened to “mobilize” in response to legislative proposals to tax remittances to Mexico.

BREAKING NEWS: Mexico President Claudia Sheinbaum Pardo is urging Mexicans to protest in The United States.

“If necessary, we’ll mobilize. We don’t want taxes on remittances from our fellow countrymen. From the U.S. to Mexico.”

This is an act of war. pic.twitter.com/tFShgwIN1B

— Dom Lucre | Breaker of Narratives (@dom_lucre) June 8, 2025

On Monday, Sheinbaum condemned the violence but affirmed Mexico’s support for all Mexicans “regardless of immigration status.”

Representative Andy Biggs, R-Ariz., commented on the situation during an appearance on the John Solomon Reports podcast.

“[You] got the outside influences…the Mexican flags and all these people and the Mexican president…Sheinbaum,” Biggs said.

“[All] these people…they hate this country, and they want to change this country, and it’ll turn, basically, the country into a Third World hellhole.”

He added, “Not a doubt in my mind. Not a doubt in my mind,” regarding foreign influence.

“I mean, even if you just take the statements of President Sheinbaum of Mexico, tacitly, she’s basically encouraging this.”

Representative Mark Harris, R-N.C., also raised concerns about the possibility of paid demonstrators.

“Well, I do think it’s important for Congress to raise those questions and do that, look into it and find out what we can,” Harris said.

“I also think the Justice Department will play an important role in trying to see these kind of things through, because, again, these ICE agents are there simply carrying out their responsibility.”

Former FBI Executive Assistant Director Chris Piehota stated on the John Solomon Reports podcast that federal authorities likely began probing financial and logistical support networks immediately.

“[What] they will do is they’ll start looking for those connections between the financial and logistical networks that these people depend on to create these, I would say planned disturbances or augmented disturbances,” he said.

“So yeah, I think you’re gonna see the FBI make a much more aggressive push into some of those areas to cut off their funding and their logistics.”

One of the groups involved in last week’s protests was the Party for Socialism and Liberation (PSL), a Marxist organization reportedly connected to the Chinese Communist Party.

PSL also helped organize recent anti-Israel demonstrations on college campuses.

In a public post, PSL claimed that protesters had “taken a courageous stand against Trump’s reign of terror targeting immigrant families” and said the label of “rioters” was false.

“This could be a turning point where the entire working class unites to push back Trump’s efforts to shred our basic rights and dignity,” the group wrote.

PSL is tied to a broader protest infrastructure linked to the Singham Network, a coalition of nonprofits and media backed by pro-CCP businessman Neville Roy Singham.

According to the Network Contagion Research Institute, Singham, who lives in Shanghai, is considered a “conduit for CCP geopolitical influence.”

Singham sold his software firm Thoughtworks in 2017 and funneled proceeds into numerous organizations, including The People’s Forum, a New York-based group that also helped organize the Shut It Down for Palestine campaign.

State financial documents show that the Coalition for Humane Immigrant Rights (CHIRLA), which helped organize initial protests in Los Angeles, received significant public funding in recent years.

According to the group’s filings, “During the fiscal year ended June 30, 2023, the Organization received government contract revenue of nearly $34 million, including $32.5 million (or 96% of stated revenue) from the State of California to provide immigration-related services.”

Federal funding also included two “Citizenship and Integration” grants totaling $193,030 before being terminated earlier this year under the Trump administration.

CHIRLA staged one of the first rallies in Los Angeles following the arrest of a Service Employees International Union president who was accused of obstructing immigration warrants.

The organization stated on social media, “To our immigrant community: we see you, we hear you, and we will NOT stop fighting for you. We say NO deportations. NO to mass detentions. Families belong together. We belong here!”

However, CHIRLA told The New York Post that it was not involved in the riots and had only organized a press event.

As the country prepares for additional demonstrations, law enforcement is monitoring developments closely. Counterprotests under the banner “Day of Defiance” are being planned by a group called No Kings.

Their events are set to coincide with President Trump’s military parade in Washington, D.C., on June 14, commemorating the 250th anniversary of the U.S. Army.

No Kings has endorsed the Los Angeles demonstrations and is promoting more than 1,800 nationwide events.

“President Trump wants you to believe that the people of Los Angeles are destroying their own communities. That’s false. Here’s the truth: people are peacefully and lawfully protesting the Administration’s abuses of power and the abduction of their neighbors by ICE,” the group said in a statement.

DHS spokeswoman Tricia McLaughlin confirmed on X that the Department of Homeland Security cut CHIRLA’s federal funding in March: “Under [President] Trump and [Secretary Kristi Noem] we terminated this in March.”

Under @POTUS Trump and @Sec_Noem we terminated this in March. pic.twitter.com/QWcnzjxrAN

— Tricia McLaughlin (@TriciaOhio) June 8, 2025

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