
Immigration agents release Army veteran detained during Camarillo farm raid
George Retes, 25, served in the Army for four years and deployed to Iraq.
He was driving to work his security guard shift at Glass House Farms in Camarillo on July 10 when he encountered federal agents conducting an immigration operation. He was next to the marijuana facility when protesters clashed with U.S. Customs and Border Protection agents. The Department of Homeland Security said the U.S. Customs and Border Protection was serving a search warrant at the farm.
Retes tried to speak with the agents but said they ignored him.
"They ignored me," Retes said. "They didn't care what I had to say. They automatically accused me of just, I guess, doing something wrong. They escalated it from there."
Video from a CBS News Los Angeles photographer at the scene showed a line of agents telling the crowd to move back and disperse before they began deploying what appeared to be less-than-lethal rounds and tear gas canisters. Retes said agents shouted conflicting commands and smashed his window before he could understand what was happening. The veteran said they sprayed him with pepper spray and deployed gas before dragging him out of his car at gunpoint.
"They took two officers to kneel on my back and then one on my neck to arrest me, even though my hands were already behind my back and I was covered in [pepper spray,]" Retes said.
Retes said they held him in federal custody for three days without charges. At the facility, agents did not provide him with medical care, nor did they allow him to contact his family or an attorney, according to Retes. He said he missed his daughter's third birthday.
"They didn't allow me to shower, didn't give me a phone call, didn't let me speak to an attorney," Retes said. "My hands burned the entire night. I wasn't able to sleep. Even after I got home and showered, I still had [pepper spray] residue."
Retes said agents never explained why he was arrested and ignored him when he said he was a U.S. citizen heading to work.
DHS officials said more than 300 immigrants were arrested during the raid on the Camarillo farm and another facility in Carpinteria. Agents said there were at least 10 undocumented children at the facilities. They launched an investigation into possible child labor, exploitation and human trafficking charges.
"The way they're going about this entire deportation process is completely wrong," Retes said. "It doesn't matter if you're an immigrant. It doesn't matter the color of your skin. It doesn't matter if you voted left. It doesn't matter if you voted right. It doesn't matter if you're black, brown, yellow, green. No one deserves to be treated this way. That shouldn't have happened. And I hope this never happens to anyone ever again."
RELATED: Federal judge orders ICE to halt immigration raids in Southern California
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