California Veteran Caught in Immigration Crackdown: 'I Was Locked Up With No Charges'

A U.S. Army veteran, caught amid a large-scale immigration operation at a California marijuana farm last week, is raising concerns about the harsh enforcement methods used. He describes a terrifying encounter where federal agents tear-gassed him, restrained him, and detained him for three days without filing any charges against him.

On July 10, George Retes, 25, a security guard at Glass House Farms in Camarillo, found himself in a tense situation as he approached his shift, only to be met by heavily armed federal agents encircling his vehicle. Even though he claimed his status as a U.S. citizen, Retes recounted the harrowing experience of having his car window shattered, being assaulted with pepper spray, and being forcibly removed from his vehicle.

“Two officers restrained my back while another held my neck—my hands were already secured behind me,” Retes recounted in an interview on Wednesday.

Retes, a native of Ventura City,  who had served in Iraq in 2019, found himself among more than 360 individuals detained during coordinated raids at two farms in Southern California, marking one of the most significant operations of its kind since President Donald Trump assumed office. The enforcement action sparked protests, resulted in the tragic death of a farmworker who fell from a rooftop, and drew condemnation from state officials.

“There’s a person who fell 30 feet out of sheer terror,” California Gov. Gavin Newsom remarked, labeling Trump a “chaos agent” who instills fear and erodes due process.

Retes found himself at the Metropolitan Detention Center in Los Angeles, where he was placed on suicide watch, overwhelmed by the emotional turmoil stemming from his arrest and the heart-wrenching absence from his young daughter’s birthday. He expressed that he was prohibited from reaching out to a lawyer or his family and was refused a shower or a change of clothes, even though he was drenched in tear gas.

“I found myself repeatedly questioning, ‘What is my purpose here?’” Retes reflected. “They offered me nothing that made sense.”

Following a span of three days, Retes found himself released without any clarification, informed that he would not be facing any charges. Homeland Security acknowledged his arrest, yet refrained from providing details regarding the reasons behind it. “The U.S. Attorney’s Office is currently examining his case,” stated DHS spokesperson Tricia McLaughlin.

Civil rights organizations assert that the raids are exacerbating racial profiling and leading to unlawful arrests. Last week, a federal judge issued a directive to suspend warrantless detentions across multiple counties in California, while the Justice Department is poised to contest this decision.

Retes, still reeling from the experience, expressed his pride in serving his country, yet now finds himself engulfed in feelings of betrayal. “No one should ever have to endure this, particularly not in America,” he stated.