(TNND) — Three federal air marshals were chased out of a Los Angeles restaurant on Wednesday after a crowd mistook them for immigration agents, according to the Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department.

The incident took place as the air marshals were having dinner at a Korean barbecue restaurant when someone mistook them as Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents, according to deputies.

Deputies said a large crowd formed after a rumor that the air marshals were there was spread around the restaurant and on social media. The Sheriff's Department said the air marshals called for backup, prompting dozens of nearby deputies to respond.

The deputies worked to separate the air marshals from the crowd and create a skirmish line between the groups. After some time, they escorted the federal agents to the sidewalk, where an unmarked van picked them up.

With deputies leading, the van drove the air marshals to the Sheriff's Department's Century Station.

No one among the crowd was arrested during the incident, and the crowd dispersed soon after the air marshals departed.

Federal air marshals work under the Transportation Security Administration (TSA), which is part of the Department of Homeland Security.