Federal charges filed against California man who allegedly drove U-Haul toward Coast Guard officers

Federal prosecutors have charged a 26-year-old Oakland, California, man after he allegedly drove a U-Haul truck toward U.S. Coast Guard personnel guarding a California base last month, prompting officers to open fire in a dramatic incident caught on video.

According to court documents unsealed Tuesday, Brendan Munro Thompson, who also goes by Bella Thompson and Bella Castillo, was charged with assaulting federal officers with a deadly or dangerous weapon after allegedly driving a U-Haul truck toward personnel stationed outside Coast Guard Base Alameda Oct. 23.

Video of the incident shows the U-Haul reversing toward security personnel positioned near a barricade at around 10 p.m. on the bridge connecting Coast Guard Island to Oakland.

Gunfire erupted moments later as officers shouted orders from behind cover. The driver then hit the gas and sped away.

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Security personnel opened fire on a U-Haul truck that ignored commands and tried to back into Coast Guard Base Alameda in California, the U.S. Coast Guard said. (Video screenshot via KTVU)

The Coast Guard said the truck had been traveling "erratically and attempting to back into the base" and that security officers fired "several rounds of live fire" after the driver ignored "multiple verbal commands" to stop.

The military branch also said that "when the vehicle’s actions posed a direct threat to the safety of Coast Guard and security personnel, law enforcement officers discharged several rounds of live fire."

Authorities said the truck had been parked outside the base for most of the day before the confrontation. Photographs from the aftermath show officials inspecting the abandoned box truck after the driver fled.

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Coast Guard police opened fire after the truck backed up toward the base’s entrance, where U.S. Customs and Border Protection agents were reportedly staying amid plans for increased immigration enforcement in the Bay Area. (Justin Sullivan/Getty Images)

Two men later arrived at hospitals with gunshot wounds, both with non-life-threatening injuries, according to the FBI San Francisco Field Office. One of those men — identified as Thompson — was treated and taken into custody.

Court documents allege that Thompson reversed the truck several times before accelerating rapidly toward Coast Guard personnel who feared the vehicle could strike them or contain explosives. When the U-Haul continued to back up toward the line of officers, Coast Guard personnel fired their weapons in self-defense.

"As alleged, Thompson drove a U-Haul truck directly into a line of Coast Guard personnel who were protecting the Coast Guard base, as they bravely do day in and day out," U.S. Attorney Craig H. Missakian said. "Let this be clear: There is zero tolerance for assault on federal officers or property, and those who do so will face federal criminal charges."

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Federal prosecutors have charged a 26-year-old Oakland resident accused of accelerating a U-Haul truck toward U.S. Coast Guard personnel guarding a California base Oct. 23, 2025. (Ting Shen/Bloomberg via Getty Images)

FBI Acting Special Agent in Charge Matt Cobo said the bureau "stands firmly with our federal law enforcement partners and will always work to protect those who protect our communities."

"Attempting to use a truck to assault federal officers performing their lawful duties is not protest, it is a violent and serious federal crime," Cobo added.

The confrontation followed a protest outside the base earlier that day, where demonstrators reportedly tried to block U.S. Customs and Border Protection agents from entering. Dozens of California Highway Patrol officers in riot gear were deployed to disperse the crowd, and two people were detained, according to local reports.

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At the time, Coast Guard Island had been designated as a potential staging area for a postponed federal deployment to San Francisco.

President Donald Trump wrote on Truth Social that he had called off the plan after speaking with local leaders who said progress was being made on public safety.

Thompson made an initial court appearance on Tuesday morning and is scheduled for a detention and preliminary hearing on Nov. 10, 2025, before U.S. Magistrate Judge Kandis A. Westmore.

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If convicted, Thompson faces up to 20 years in prison and a $250,000 fine.

Fox News Digital’s Elizabeth Pritchett, Michael Dorgan and Alexandra Koch contributed to this report.