ICE Identified: Razmik Madoyan | by Sawyer Wells | Aug, 2025 | Medium
ICE agents have been masking up because they’re cowards who refuse to face the consequences of their actions, and because they know that they’ll be exposed like Razmik Madoyan
This is Razmik Madoyan. I first came across him in a video that was posted on r/ICE_Raids which you can watch here, but you can view a longer clip from the Los Angeles Times here. The caption says that the video was taken on August 13, 2025 at 1:36 PM. According to the Los Angeles Times, this was in front of a courthouse on Temple Street in Downtown LA.
The man being arrested, Stephen Reyes, was screaming for help as the thugs force him into the car. Reyes in court on Wednesday the 13th and was charged with possession of drugs with intent to sell. He left the courthouse on Temple Street before he was surrounded by law enforcement and forced into the car. Most of the agents were wearing masks, but the officer who got water thrown on him was Razmik Madoyan.
I made a comment below the post after I did some reverse image searching with the screen capture of his face, and I found him a few different places. He’s pictured holding an award with a group of people on the website for the Institute of Southeast Asian Archaeology, or the ISEAA where it says that he’s on the investigative team for Operation Antiquity (OA). This was from an award ceremony in Los Angeles on October 21st, 2016. The same image is posted on a different website called Matichon Online discussing the same event.
Madoyan is also pictured in this article from Homeland Security Today, titled “ICE Returns Ancient Artifacts to the Republic of Iraq — HS Today.” The article is about Special Agents with ICE and HSI returning ancient artifacts to the Republic of Iraq, detailing what was found, and how they found them.
After I posted that comment, that’s all the information that I had on him, until a commenter posted an image of that first picture where you’re able to see what his name is. That comment got deleted by moderators for doxxing, but that’s when I started to do more research. I’ll be honest, I haven’t read all of these sources because some of them are books and academic journals, but let’s take a look at what I found.
razmik madoyan | LinkedIn — On this LinkedIn account, he says that he lives in Glendale, California and attended UCLA from 2000–2001. This account doesn’t seem to be active anymore.
Madoyan Razmik | LinkedIn — This is another LinkedIn account that’s more active with a more detailed work experience. Here, it says that he went to UCLA for psychology from March 1999-January 2001, and got a masters degree in forensic science and technology at National University from January 2005–2007. He worked as a Security Guard/Museum Store Clerk for Norton Simon Museum in Pasadena, California for three years (1998–2001), was a Healthcare Specialist — Medic in Germany, Iraq, and Ft. Still for the US Army for almost four years (2002–2005), a counselor for the VA in LA County for 1 year and 8 months (2006–2007), and has been working at the Homeland Security Investigations for 18 years and a month as of today. He was a Special Agent for 13 years (2007–2020), a group supervisor for 1 year and 6 months (2020–2022), an Assistant Attache in Abu Dhabi for 3 years (2022–2024), and a group supervisor again starting back in January of this year, 2025.
X-ray fluorescence applied to yellow pigments based on lead, tin and antimony: comparison of laboratory and portable instrumentation — CORE Reader — This is a Book of Abstracts for Non-destructive and microanalytical techniques in art and cultural heritage. Razmik Madoyan is listed as the author for the section titled “Photoluminescence and forensic detection of ancient pigments.”
Postmortem changes | Open Library — He is also cited here as a “prolific author” in what seems to be a collection of books about postmortem changes. He wrote a book called “The effects of environmental conditions and causes of death on postmortem changes.”
(PDF) Countering the trafficking of antiquities 10 14 Sept 2023 QNL Himaya — This is an academic paper called “Countering the trafficking of antiques 10 14 Sept 2023 QNL Himaya.” In the paper, Madoyan is cited as the “Assistant Attaché for the Department of Homeland Security at U.S. Embassy Abu Dhabi, UAE,” where he was hosting a session on smuggled Syrian mosaics. He’s also cited on this website here.
USA v. Singh (2:21-mj-04027), California Central District Court — This is a court case where he signed what seems to be an out-of-district warrant on August 27, 2021.
Portable Antiquity Collecting and Heritage Issues: Stolen Cambodian artefacts repatriated from US museums case (Operation Antiquity) — This is an article about stolen Cambodian artifacts where the author cites an excerpt from an ICE press release (link is now defunct) where they say that Madoyan, working as an ICE Special Agent, started a digital investigation to recover some of these ancient artifacts.
Around town & beyond — Beyond The Acorn — This seems to be an advertisement for what seems to be a lecture of some sort on art smuggling. The same can be found here in a paper called Moorpark Acorn from February 28, 2020. For that event, they say that his identity has to be protected so photographs would not be permitted.
(PDF) Film Festival and the rhythm of social inclusivity — He is cited twice in this article as well, which is a paper that discusses film festivals and more specifically, personal experience that people have had at the Singapore International Film Festival from 1997 to 2003.
Lessons Given in Illicit Antiquities Trade — The Voice of Wilkinson — He was mentioned in this article about a presentation that he gave about smuggling antiques. [archived]
Edit: Theres a longer version of the video which you can see here. It was originally posted by the Los Angeles Times.
Edit 2: I added more context, citing the Los Angeles Times.