Video aired by Telemundo appears to show ICE agents forcibly detaining two 17-year-old U.S. citizens near Santos Livas Elementary School in Alamo, Texas. One teen was reportedly punched and placed in an unmarked vehicle; the other, identified as Luis Ochoa, says he was pepper-sprayed, handcuffed and told his "parents can't help you now." The teens said they were on their way to submit Marine Corps enlistment paperwork; both were released after about eight hours and it is unclear whether charges were filed.
Video Shows ICE Agents Accused of Assaulting Two 17-Year-Old U.S. Citizens En Route to Join the Marines
usicegov, Public domain. Via Wikimedia Commons.
Video aired by Telemundo appears to show U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents forcibly removing and detaining two 17-year-old U.S. citizens near Santos Livas Elementary School in Alamo, Texas. According to witnesses and the teens' accounts, the pair were driving to submit enlistment paperwork for the U.S. Marine Corps when the confrontation occurred.
What the Video Shows
The footage reportedly captures agents opening a red vehicle in the middle of the road, pulling one teen out, and pushing him to the pavement. Witnesses say that officer(s) struck the teen repeatedly before placing him into an unmarked ICE vehicle. On the opposite side of the car, the second teen appears affected by pepper spray and seeks help from bystanders.
Witness Accounts and Allegations
People filming can be heard shouting that the detained youth is a minor. One bystander is quoted in the video saying, "They are beating him. He's a minor. They tossed him like a sack." The second teen, identified in reporting as Luis Ochoa, reportedly ran to a nearby restaurant to seek assistance and was then pushed to the ground and handcuffed.
"I had my hands on the steering wheel. It wasn't necessary for them to pepper spray me, or do all that to me, or laugh at me," Ochoa told Telemundo. He said he repeatedly told agents he was a U.S. citizen and 17 years old, but that agents responded, "we don't give a d***" and "your parents can't help you now."
Aftermath and Concerns
The teens told reporters they were en route to deliver paperwork to enlist in the Marine Corps; one said the encounter led him to abandon plans to join. Family members feared the youths could be transferred to Mexico, and the teens later reported that agents discussed a possible transfer. Both were released after roughly eight hours in custody, and the report did not confirm whether any charges were filed.
Context
ICE enforces federal immigration laws and typically targets noncitizens for detention and removal. Incidents involving people who identify as U.S. citizens raise legal and civil-rights concerns and often prompt calls for independent review. At the time of reporting, there was no public account of an ICE response or an official investigation into this specific incident.
Sources: Telemundo video and eyewitness accounts as reported publicly. Details are presented as alleged based on available reporting.
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