A 20-year-old U.S. citizen is in federal custody after he attempted to assist a coworker who was confronted by ICE in a Walmart parking lot.
Adrian Andrew Martinez, a Los Angeles native, was on break from his shift at Walmart on Tuesday when witnesses say he approached U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents questioning a fellow employee. Within moments, Martinez was tackled to the ground by agents in tactical gear and taken into custody.
Videos of the incident have gone viral, showing multiple masked men forcefully restraining Martinez as bystanders shout that he is a legal citizen. ICE agents were later identified as the detaining officers.
“I was at work when one of my daughters sent me a message with the video, saying that they had taken Adrian. I just want to know where my son is,” Myra Martinez, the 20-year-old’s mother, told CALÓ News following the incident.
ICE initially denied any record of Adrian Andrew Martinez. It took over 24 hours for his mother to confirm that her son is being held at a federal building in downtown L.A.
“I went to the place where they’re detaining everyone — ICE told me they don’t have him, that they don’t have no one by that name.” Myra Martinez told the outlet.
ICE claimed they were not conducting operations in Pico Rivera on the day of the arrest and referred questions to U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP). Meanwhile, the lack of transparency has drawn criticism from civil rights advocates and local residents, who held a protest Tuesday night demanding the city sever ties with federal immigration authorities.
State Senator Bob Archuleta (D-30) is reportedly the only official to reach out to the Martinez family.
U.S. Attorney Bill Essayli released a statement regarding the arrest of Adrian Andrew Martinez, saying he allegedly punched a border patrol agent in the face. “I will repeat, if you impede our agents or strike them, you will end up in handcuffs facing federal criminal charges.”
The accusation is not supported by any currently available video footage.
Originally published on Latin Times
