Operation Excalibur: Authoritarian Theater in the Heart of Los Angeles
A Drill Without a Purpose—Or One It Won’t Admit On July 7, 2025, MacArthur Park in Los Angeles was the stage for a surprise joint “readiness” operation called Operation Excalibur. The drill included participation from nearly a dozen federal and state agencies: ICE, CBP, ATF, DEA, FBI, IRS-CI, U.S. Marshals, Homeland Security Investigations, and the California National Guard. A CBP press release described the event as a “static interagency site protection drill focused on readiness and coordinated response capabilities.” 1 ...