DHS alleges veteran assaulted ICE agents after criticizing arrest; he disputes the charge

Department of Homeland Security officials said George Retes Jr., a 25-year-old U.S. Army veteran and U.S. citizen, assaulted ICE agents during a July immigration raid, a claim that surfaced after Retes publicly condemned the agency for detaining him. Retes was on his way to work as a contracted security guard on the morning of July 10 when ICE detained him during one of the largest raids in recent history. He was never charged with a crime.

An initial Department of Homeland Security spokesperson said Retes was released without charges and that the case was under review "for potential federal charges related to the execution of the federal search warrant in Camarillo." The agency did not specify any additional charges at the time. The arrest occurred at Glass House Farms in Camarillo during the same operation that drew broad attention for its scope and speed. Retes has since filed a legal complaint against the U.S. government over what he describes as a wrongful detention, and he has urged transparency as the review proceeds.

Retes later recounted what he says happened during the arrest in an op-ed published in the San Francisco Chronicle, describing how federal agents surrounded him and forced him to the ground before arresting him. He said he was on his way to work when officers stopped his vehicle, and he claimed that the encounter unfolded under the glare of a crowded, highly visible operation. He has maintained that he was not charged with a crime and that the episode has had lasting consequences for his life and livelihood.

DHS officials issued a new statement one day after Retes’s op-ed, saying the Iraq War veteran had "become violent and refused to comply with law enforcement." The agency alleged that Retes "challenged agents and blocked their route by refusing to move his vehicle out of the road." The statement also denied that ICE officers were engaging in wrongful detention of U.S. citizens, even as critics have argued that the operation disproportionately affected residents in the area.

Retes reacted with disbelief to the new accusations, saying he was shocked by the characterization of the incident and noting that portions of his arrest were captured on video. "The agency had an opportunity to say, 'OK, what we did was wrong, we’ll take responsibility,'" he said. "It's crazy that they're willing to stand 10 toes down and die on a hill of lying and say I assaulted officers." He emphasized that his public account prior to the DHS statement had reflected his memory of what occurred, and he asserted that the video evidence could tell a different story.

Retes’s attorney, Anya Bidwell, described the timing of the new claims as telling. "When people in this country stand up to this government, this government responds with fury," Bidwell said. "They're trying to impose their own version of reality. It's so important for people like George to say, 'I know who I am and I know what happened to me. You can't just frame it as something that it's not.'" Bidwell urged the public to seek a full accounting of the events and for the government to acknowledge any missteps in the arrest.

Despite the allegations and ongoing controversy, Retes said he remains hopeful that justice will prevail. "I still believe justice can be restored—that's why I'm standing up and speaking out," he said. "I think it's important now more than ever for us to be unified and standing up for our rights together. Especially when they have the audacity to try to lie—especially to the public." His case highlights the broader tensions surrounding large-scale immigration enforcement operations and the balance between law enforcement and civil liberties.

The incident at Glass House Farms in Camarillo on July 10, as described in Retes’s account and subsequent DHS statements, comes amid ongoing national debate over the conduct of immigration raids, the treatment of U.S. citizens during such operations, and the accountability mechanisms available when individuals allege wrongful detentions. DHS maintains that its officers acted within the law during the high-profile operation, while Retes and his counsel call for independent review and transparency as the case proceeds through the legal process.