A security guard arrested at last Thursday’s massive immigration raid at a Ventura County cannabis farm says his civil rights were violated when the federal government held him for three days for no reason.
George Retes says he was just showing up for work at the Camarillo farm last Thursday when he was caught up in the middle of the raid.
"I got caught in the middle between the protest and ICE agents," said Retes. "I explained myself. I let the ICE agents know I was a U.S. citizen. They ignored me, they didn't care."
Retes didn’t talk about the specifics of his arrest during a virtual news conference. But, in a written statement this week, he said he was forcibly removed from his car and subjected to pepper spray and tear gas.
"They didn't tell me why I was arrested. No one could give me an answer as to who even arrested me."
He said he’s employed by a private security company that has a contract with Glass House Farm.
The 25-year-old disabled Army veteran was held for three days in a federal detention facility in Los Angeles. The Ventura man said when he was released, he was told he wasn’t being charged.
The Department of Homeland Security released a statement saying Retes has not been charged. But, it said the U.S. Attorney’s Office is reviewing his case, along with others, for potential federal charges related to the raid. The agency said 361 people were arrested during the July 10 raids in Camarillo and Carpinteria.
Retes said it wasn't the first time ICE agents had come to the Camarillo farm. He said they came a few weeks earlier, and that he turned them away at the time. They returned on July 10 with warrants.
