麻花视频

George Retes, 25, who works as a security guard at聽, said he arrived at work July 10 when several federal agents surrounded his car and 鈥� despite that he identified himself as a U.S. citizen 鈥� broke his window, peppered sprayed him and dragged him out.

鈥淚t took two officers to nail my back and then one on my neck to arrest me even though my hands were already behind my back,鈥� Retes said.

Massive farm raids

The Ventura City native was detained during聽聽where federal authorities arrested more than 360 people, one of the largest operations since President Donald Trump took office in January. Protesters faced off against federal agents in military-style gear, and one farmworker died after falling from a greenhouse roof.

The raids came more than a month into an extended聽聽by the Trump administration across Southern California that originally聽was centered in Los Angeles.

California Gov. Gavin Newsom spoke on the raids at a news conference Wednesday, calling Trump a 鈥渃haos agent鈥� who incited violence and spread fear in communities.

鈥淵ou got someone who dropped 30 feet because they were scared to death and lost their life,鈥� he said, referring to the farmworker who died in the raids. 鈥淧eople are quite literally disappearing with no due process, no rights.鈥�

Retes was taken to the Metropolitan Detention Center in downtown Los Angeles, where he said he was put in a special cell on suicide watch and checked on each day after he became emotionally distraught over his ordeal and missing his 3-year-old daughter's birthday party.

He said federal agents never told him why he was arrested nor allowed him to contact a lawyer or his family during his three-day detention. Authorities never let him shower or change clothes despite being covered in tear gas and pepper spray, Retes said, adding that his hands burned throughout the first night he spent in custody.

On July 13, an officer had him sign a paper and walked him out of the detention center. He said he was told he faced no charges.

No explanation for arrest

鈥淭hey gave me nothing I could wrap my head around," Retes said, explaining that he was met with silence on his way out when he asked about being "locked up for three days with no reason and no charges.鈥�

Tricia McLaughlin, assistant secretary of the Department of Homeland Security, confirmed Retes' arrest but didn't say on what charges.

鈥淕eorge Retes was arrested and has been released," she said. "He has not been charged. The U.S. Attorney鈥檚 Office is reviewing his case, along with dozens of others, for potential federal charges related to the execution of the federal search warrant in Camarillo.鈥�

聽the Trump administration to halt indiscriminate immigration stops and arrests without warrants in seven California counties, including Los Angeles. Immigrant advocates accused federal agents of detaining people because they looked Latino. The Justice Department appealed Monday and asked for the order to be stayed.

The Pentagon also said Tuesday it will end the deployment of 2,000 National Guard troops in Los Angeles. That's roughly half the number the administration sent to the city following protests over the immigration actions. Some of those troops聽聽during their immigration enforcement operations.

Retes said he joined the Army at age 18 and served four years, including deploying to Iraq in 2019.

鈥淚 joined the service to help better myself,鈥� he said. 鈥淚 did it because I love this (expletive) country. We are one nation and no matter what, we should be together. All this separation and stuff between everyone is just the way it shouldn鈥檛 be.鈥�

Retes said he plans to sue for wrongful detention.

鈥淭he way they鈥檙e going about this entire deportation process is completely wrong, chasing people who are just working, especially trying to feed everyone here in the U.S.,鈥� he said. 鈥淣o one deserves to be treated the way they treat people.鈥�

Retes was detained along with California State University Channel Islands professor Jonathan Caravello, also a U.S. citizen, who was arrested for throwing a tear gas canister at law enforcement, U.S. Attorney Bill Essayli posted on X.

The California Faculty Association said Caravello was taken away by agents who did not identify themselves nor inform him of why he was being taken into custody. Like Retes, the association said the professor was then held without being allowed to contact his family or an attorney.

Caravello was attempting to dislodge a tear gas canister that was stuck underneath someone鈥檚 wheelchair, witnesses told KABC-TV, the ABC affiliate in Los Angeles.

A federal judge on Monday ordered Caravello to be released on $15,000 bond. He鈥檚 scheduled to be arraigned Aug. 1.

鈥淚 want everyone to know what happened. This doesn鈥檛 just affect one person,鈥� Retes said. 鈥淚t doesn鈥檛 matter if your skin is brown. It doesn鈥檛 matter if you鈥檙e white. It doesn鈥檛 matter if you鈥檙e a veteran or you serve this country. They don鈥檛 care. They鈥檙e just there to fill a quota.鈥�