Two U.S. teenagers say ICE agents assaulted them while they were filming an ICE presence near an elementary school in Alamo, Texas, as they traveled to enlist in the Marine Corps. Video shows one teen pulled from a car and struck while face-down; both were pepper-sprayed and held for about eight hours. One teen, 17-year-old Luis Ochoa, says he repeatedly identified himself as a U.S. citizen but was dismissed by agents. The incident has drawn scrutiny amid broader criticism of ICE's use of force and its impact on military families.
Video Shows ICE Agents Use Force Against Teens En Route To Enlist In Marines
One of the teens seen being beaten. / Telemundo
Two U.S. teenagers say federal Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents violently confronted them while they were traveling to enlist in the U.S. Marine Corps. Video released of the encounter shows one teen being pulled from a car and struck while lying face-down on pavement; both teens say they were pepper-sprayed and later held in ICE custody for roughly eight hours.
His mother said she feared the worst during his hours-long detention. / Telemundo
Details of the Encounter
The teens told reporters they were recording an ICE presence near an elementary school in Alamo, Texas, when agents intervened. The video shows agents pulling one teen from a vehicle and punching him multiple times while he lay face-down. The person filming can be heard repeatedly saying the teens are minors.
ICE has been fully funded through the end of Trump's term. / Vincent Alban / REUTERS
Seventeen-year-old Luis Ochoa told Telemundo that after being pepper-sprayed he ran to a nearby fast-food restaurant to seek help. He said that when agents later approached him he repeatedly identified himself as a U.S. citizen, but alleges an agent responded, "I don't give a damn. Your parents can't help you now." Both teenagers were released after about eight hours in ICE custody.
ICE has killed multiple U.S. citizens. / CJ Gunther / REUTERS
"How are they supposed to serve a country that doesn't even uphold their basic rights?"
— Ochoa's mother, describing her son's fear and growing doubts about enlisting
Official Response
ICE referred inquiries to the Department of Homeland Security; at the time of reporting, DHS had not immediately responded to requests for comment. The news outlet that first reported the referral was The Daily Beast, and the teenagers' accounts were told to Telemundo.
Context And Broader Concerns
Observers and advocates say the incident fits a pattern of aggressive tactics by ICE that they contend sometimes affects U.S. citizens, bystanders, and family members of service members. Reporting cited in coverage asserts that more than 50 parents and spouses of active-duty U.S. troops were detained under the second Trump presidency, with at least six deported and several immediate family members remaining in ICE custody.
Other reporting notes that ICE-involved operations have resulted in fatal and non-fatal shootings: at least 11 people were reported killed in ICE-involved incidents since January 2025, and more than a dozen additional non-fatal shootings were reported in that time frame. Those figures and characterizations come from media reports and advocates; independent investigations and agency statements may add further detail.
What We Know And What Remains Unclear
Video and eyewitness accounts document the confrontation and the teens' detention. Questions remain about the agents' justification for using force and the agency's account of the incident; agency officials had not provided a public, detailed explanation at the time of reporting. Follow-up reporting and statements from ICE or DHS may provide additional clarity.
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