Marine Sons Defend Father Arrested by Border Patrol: “He Raised Us to Serve This Country”

Border Patrol agents arrested Narciso Barranco on June 21 in Santa Ana, California. He is the father of three U.S. Marines and tried to escape and fight arrest, according to the police. Agents tackled and punched Narciso several times while he was on the ground, as seen in a video of the event that went viral and led to public criticism.

Their son, Alejandro Barranco, a Marine veteran, told Task & Purpose that his dad taught him and his two brothers, who are both still in the Marine Corps, to be proud Americans who serve their country. Alex said, "He taught us to be smart, strong, helpful to this country, to serve our country, and to be thankful." "It is tough. It is not fair that you mistreat us.

Homeland Security said that Border Patrol agents chased Narciso after he reportedly ran away, hit an agent with a weed wacker, crossed a busy intersection, and refused to be arrested. Tricia McLaughlin, a spokesperson for DHS, said that agents used "the minimum amount of force necessary" and offered Narciso medical care afterward, but he turned it down.

U.S. Customs and Border Protection put up a video on social media of Narciso turning the gardening tool toward officers and telling them that their actions would have "consequences." But Alejandro disagrees with the story that his dad tried to attack. He thinks Narciso raised the tool without thinking about who was coming up behind him.

Rep. Mike Levin (D-Calif.) wrote, "This is not America" in response to the video of the arrest and called for openness. Narciso, who has never been in trouble with the law, talked to an immigration lawyer about applying for "parole in place," a program that can give Green Cards to undocumented family members of U.S. service members. Still, he had not turned in the papers before his arrest.

Alejandro said he does not regret his time in the Marine Corps, even though it was hard: "I do not regret my service to the country." His father is "sad and defeated" after what happened, he said, but he promised to keep working for his father's fair treatment.

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