Federal officers opened fire on a U-Haul truck attempting to ram Coast Guard Base Alameda during heated immigration protests, wounding both the driver and an innocent bystander in a shocking escalation that has the FBI investigating what could have been a catastrophic attack on a military installation.
Story Snapshot
- U-Haul driver ignored commands and accelerated toward officers at Coast Guard Base Alameda during immigration protests
- Federal officers shot the driver in the stomach; a bystander was wounded by fragments
- FBI launched investigation while driver undergoes mental health evaluation in custody
- Incident occurred amid ongoing protests against Trump administration immigration enforcement
When Protests Meet Federal Force
Coast Guard Base Alameda had become a flashpoint for anti-immigration enforcement demonstrations when chaos erupted on October 24, 2025. Protesters had been gathering regularly at the island facility in San Francisco Bay, voicing opposition to federal agents’ increased presence in sanctuary cities. The atmosphere was already tense when a U-Haul truck driver made a decision that transformed a political protest into a potential security crisis.
The driver backed the rental truck into the base perimeter, creating immediate alarm among federal officers stationed there. Despite multiple verbal commands to stop, the individual accelerated directly toward the officers, forcing them to make a split-second decision that would leave two people wounded and trigger a major federal investigation.
Split-Second Decision Under Fire
Federal law enforcement faced a nightmare scenario: a large vehicle being used as a potential weapon during an active protest. Officers had no way of knowing the driver’s intentions or whether the truck contained explosives or other threats. When verbal commands failed and the vehicle continued advancing, they responded with gunfire to neutralize what appeared to be an imminent attack on federal personnel.
The driver sustained a gunshot wound to the stomach and was immediately taken into custody. More troubling, a bystander caught a fragment from the shooting, highlighting how quickly peaceful protest environments can become dangerous for everyone involved. The injured bystander received hospital treatment and was released, while the driver remained in custody pending mental health evaluation.
Federal Response and Investigation
The FBI immediately deployed crisis teams and bomb technicians to secure the scene, treating this as a potential terrorist incident at a federal military installation. Department of Homeland Security officials confirmed that officers followed proper protocols by issuing multiple warnings before resorting to deadly force. The investigation remains active as federal authorities work to determine the driver’s motives and mental state.
No Coast Guard personnel suffered injuries, but the incident exposed the vulnerability of federal facilities during politically charged protests. The FBI’s involvement underscores the seriousness with which authorities are treating this apparent attempted vehicle ramming, a tactic that has become increasingly common in attacks worldwide.
Immigration Enforcement Sparks Dangerous Confrontations
This shooting represents the dangerous intersection of federal immigration enforcement and local resistance in sanctuary jurisdictions. The Trump administration’s deployment of additional Border Patrol agents to California has intensified tensions between federal authorities and communities that oppose aggressive immigration tactics. Coast Guard Base Alameda became a symbol of this conflict, drawing regular protests that created an increasingly volatile environment.
The incident raises serious questions about protest management and facility security when political demonstrations target sensitive federal installations. While Americans have constitutional rights to peaceful assembly and protest, those rights cannot extend to threatening federal personnel or attempting to breach military facilities with vehicles that could cause mass casualties.
Sources:
Shots fired after vehicle driving erratically attempts to back into Coast Guard base
