Federal crackdown on Canal Street counterfeit sales nets 14 arrests

Federal immigration agents on Tuesday carried out a targeted enforcement operation against vendors on Canal Street in Manhattan's Chinatown, detaining nine people and touching off street clashes that led to a total of 14 arrests, federal officials said. The operation, described by the Department of Homeland Security as focused on criminal activity related to selling counterfeit goods, drew hundreds of bystanders and protesters who surrounded agents, impeded vehicles and at times engaged physically with law enforcement.

Tricia McLaughlin, a DHS spokesperson, said the operation was "targeted, intelligence-driven" and involved officers from Immigration and Customs Enforcement, U.S. Border Patrol and other federal partners. Video from the scene showed masked agents detaining individuals, using zip ties and at times pushing or wresting people to the ground; officers were seen speaking with or threatening bystanders with pepper spray and stun devices. A tactical vehicle and officers in combat-style gear also arrived, and federal authorities said several demonstrators were arrested on charges including assaulting or obstructing law enforcement.

McLaughlin said nine people taken into...