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From hyper-local neighborhood alert systems to confronting ICE on the streets, Leo Martinez (@tacodpollo) shares how VC Defensa is building community power from the ground up.
Leo spoke with The Latino Newsletter podcast on the importance of providing people with the tools to mobilize in their own communities, and about being rammed by federal vehicles in October of 2025.
After this interview was recorded, Leo and VC Defensa were targeted by Homeland Security Investigations during a pre-dawn raid on May 13, 2026.
This has not deterred the volunteer-led advocacy group from organizing neighborhood ICE-watch patrols across Ventura County, CA.
This episode of The Latino Newsletter podcast was produced by Joaquín Cotler, Juan Diego Ramírez, and Michelle Zacarias, with editorial support from Edward Wilkey. Julio Ricardo Varela edited the conversation. The music is by Cast of Characters via Soundstripe.
Season 2 of The Latino Newsletter podcast was made possible through individual gifts and The Latino Media Consortium.
The Latino Newsletter is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization, and we turned 2 years old! Help us with our birthday campaign by giving here.
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What We’re Reading (and Watching)
ICE Agent Arrested: From NBC News, “An ICE agent accused by Minnesota prosecutors of shooting a Venezuelan immigrant and lying about it was arrested Friday.”
New Soccer Podcast: Julio Ricardo Varela, founder of The Latino Newsletter, is the co-host of Our Copa, which premieres on June 2 and examines how politics has always been part of the World Cup. Julio’s fellow co-hosts are former professional soccer player Merritt Mathias and award-winning author and soccer expert Musa Okwonga.
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