U.S. Citizen Detained by ICE in L.A. After Defending Janitor During Raid

A 20-year-old U.S. citizen, Adrian Andrew Martinez, is speaking out after being violently detained by federal immigration agents in Pico Rivera on June 17. The incident, which occurred in the parking lot of a shopping center housing Walmart and Lowe’s, was captured on video and widely circulated online. The footage shows at least six federal officers wrestling Martinez to the ground while someone can be heard yelling, “He’s a U.S. citizen!”

Martinez, who was on his lunch break from working at Walmart, said he intervened after seeing agents questioning a janitor. “I was just there trying to stick up, speak up for a man that couldn’t speak up for himself,” he told KTLA. He described being confused and scared, noting, “I didn’t know what was going on… because they weren’t explaining what they were doing.” Martinez suffered bruises and scratches, adding that his neck remained sore from the “choking and grabbing they were doing.”

Initially, authorities claimed Martinez punched a federal agent, and U.S. Attorney Bill Essayli shared video on social media asserting he attempted to interfere with an immigration operation. U.S. Border Patrol Chief Gregory Bovino amplified the claim, stating that “a false narrative was and is being pushed out” regarding the arrest. However, Martinez’s attorneys said no assault charges have been filed. Instead, he now faces a single felony charge: conspiracy to impede or injure a federal officer.

Myra Villarreal, Martinez’s mother,  expressed outrage after seeing the video. “When I saw the video, I was mad, angry. I was sad, scared. So many emotions I was going through,” she said. “No one should be treated that way.” Martinez has since been released on a $5,000 bond and was fired from Walmart following the incident. Despite the legal fallout, he remains resolute. “I have no regrets over my actions,” he said.

Martinez and his legal team are now fighting the charge, while the video continues to raise questions about the treatment of citizens during aggressive immigration enforcement actions in Southern California.

Link: KTLA