Veteran Reportedly Detained In Marijuana Farm Raid Sues Feds

A U.S. Army veteran filed a lawsuit against the Trump administration after federal agents reportedly detained him during an immigration raid at a marijuana farm north of Los Angeles on July 10.

George Retes, a four-year military veteran and now security guard at Glass House Farms in Camarillo, was working a shift when agents from U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement and U.S. Customs and Border Protection conducted a joint immigration raid at the Ventura County farm. Retes said agents detained him and held him in custody for three days without medical care, or permission to contact his family or an attorney, according to CBS News Los Angeles.

Retes recalled sitting in his car next to the marijuana facility when protesters began to clash with the Customs and Border Protection officers. Shortly afterward, Retes said he was confronted by federal officers who dragged him out of his car, sprayed him with tear gas and pepper spray, and detained him. Retes also said the federal officers wouldn’t tell him why he was being arrested and ignored him when he said he was a U.S. citizen.

Retes was taken to the Metropolitan Detention Center in downtown Los Angeles and placed into a suicide watch cell after becoming “emotionally distraught” from the situation, according to media reports.

Retes said he is suing the federal government so people become aware of what happened to him. Retes added what happened to him can happen to anyone. He said he hopes his lawsuit will help prevent people from experiencing what he went through.