Protests Erupt After U.S. Citizen Detained by Immigration Agents

LOS ANGELES, CA — Hundreds of protesters gathered in a Los Angeles County neighborhood after immigration agents detained a 20-year-old man outside a Walmart in Pico Rivera on Tuesday. Adrian Andrew Martinez, who is a U.S. citizen according to his family, was involved in a confrontation that has sparked significant local outcry.

Video footage of the incident shows Martinez wearing a blue Walmart vest and interacting with Customs and Border Protection agents. During the exchange, Oscar Preciado, who recorded the event, caught footage of agents wrestling Martinez to the ground. Preciado described the physical confrontation, stating, “He grabbed me by the neck and put the other hand behind my leg. Luckily, I was able to get him off of me and kept recording.”

The altercation began when Martinez defended an older man who had been detained by the agents. According to Preciado, Martinez argued that federal agents needed a warrant for the man’s arrest. Preciado, who works for a delivery service and knows Martinez from his daily visits to Walmart, recalled that the crowd began shouting, “he’s a U.S. citizen,” while agents arrested Martinez.

Preciado reported that agents attempted to disperse the growing crowd of onlookers. “They kept trying to get us back when they realized there were like 10 of us recording,” he said. He also noted that individuals from an unmarked vehicle emerged brandishing firearms, adding to the tense atmosphere.

Martinez’s family remains concerned for his well-being, as they do not know his current location. They visited a federal detention center where they were informed he was not there, but they fear he may face charges of assaulting a federal officer.

KCAL News has reached out to both Immigration and Customs Enforcement and Walmart for comments on the incident but has not yet received a response.