Amid a contentious immigration raid at a California cannabis farm, George Retes, a US citizen and Army veteran, has come forward with allegations of excessive force and wrongful detention by federal immigration officials. Retes, who works as a security guard at Glass House Farms in Camarillo, recounted his ordeal during a video press conference organized by the United Farm Workers (UFW) labor union. He described being intercepted by federal agents on his way to work, having his car window broken, and being pepper-sprayed before being forcibly removed from his vehicle.
The incident unfolded as federal agents executed criminal warrant operations at two marijuana grow sites in Carpinteria and Camarillo on July 10, 2025. These operations, carried out jointly by US Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) and US Customs and Border Protection (CBP), were aimed at curbing what authorities have labeled as potential exploitation and human trafficking activities at the sites. According to the Department of Homeland Security, the raid resulted in the rescue of at least 14 migrant children and the arrest of 361 individuals who were deemed illegally present in the US. The department further reported that the agents faced significant resistance, with more than 500 individuals attempting to disrupt their activities.
Despite Retes’s assertions of his US citizenship and his intent merely to work, he claims that he was subjected to contradictory commands by the agents, leading to his arrest. Following his detention, Retes was held at the Metropolitan Detention Center in downtown Los Angeles under what he described as harsh conditions. He was placed in a special cell on suicide watch, denied access to legal counsel and communication with his family, and was not permitted to shower despite being covered in chemical irritants.
Retes’s release saw no formal charges filed against him, as confirmed by Tricia McLaughlin, the Department of Homeland Security’s Assistant Secretary for Public Affairs. However, the US Attorney’s Office is reportedly reviewing his case as part of a broader investigation linked to the federal watch execution in Camarillo. Retes has since publicly demanded a full investigation into the actions of ICE and other federal agencies, arguing that his case underscores broader concerns about civil rights violations and excessive use of force by immigration officers. He has emphasized that his experience highlights that not only immigrants but American citizens can also be adversely affected by such operations.
A more detailed recounting of these events and accompanying remarks by Retes can be found through the initial report published by Jurist, where the veteran’s defense of his civil rights and critiques of the raid’s execution are elaborately documented.