A U.S. Marine Corps veteran says he feels deeply betrayed by the country he served after masked federal agents arrested his father during a sudden operation in Southern California.
The veteran, who served his country with pride, described the experience as both shocking and disheartening.
The sudden and forceful nature of the arrest has left the family reeling and demanding answers.
While federal officials have yet to release full details about the charges or operation, the incident has ignited concerns about transparency and due process. The veteran said the arrest, carried out without clear explanation, has shaken his belief in the justice system he once fought to protect.
“It’s hard to put into words what it feels like to see your own family treated like criminals without any warning or explanation,” he said. “I served this country with honor. I never expected my service would be met with this kind of betrayal.”
The case is under investigation, and legal advocates are now stepping in to demand accountability and clarity regarding the actions taken by federal authorities.
Marine Corps Veteran Feels Betrayed After Father Beaten and Arrested by Masked Federal Agents During ICE Raid
A Marine Corps veteran says he feels deeply betrayed by the country he served after his father was violently arrested by masked federal agents while working at his landscaping job in Southern California. The incident occurred during one of the ongoing Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) workplace raids that immigrant advocates say have left communities gripped by fear and anxiety.
Alejandro Barranco, a 25-year-old Marine Corps veteran, told CNN that his father, Narciso Barranco, was detained Saturday afternoon while working at an IHOP in Santa Ana, California. Narciso, originally from Mexico, has lived in the United States since the 1990s. Although undocumented, he has no criminal record, according to his son.
“He was always a good dad,” Alejandro said. He taught us to respect others, to love this country, and to always give back. Now he’s being treated like a criminal.”
Cell phone video of the arrest shows a group of masked men in tactical gear pinning Narciso to the ground and repeatedly striking him in the head and neck. Some of the men wore vests labeled “US Border Patrol Police.” After subduing him, they forced Narciso into an unmarked vehicle, holding his arms behind his back.
The Department of Homeland Security responded to CNN’s inquiry about the incident, stating that an “illegal alien” had been arrested by Border Patrol agents after he allegedly attempted to evade law enforcement. Tricia McLaughlin, DHS Assistant Secretary for Public Affairs, claimed Narciso ran from the agents and swung a weed whacker at one of them before fleeing through a busy intersection and resisting arrest.
However, a video shared by DHS shows Narciso holding lawn equipment as agents approach. He is seen standing with the weed whacker in hand, but the footage does not clearly show him attacking officers. One agent appears to spray him with an unidentified substance moments before the takedown.
Currently, Narciso Barranco remains in ICE custody.
Alejandro disputes the DHS narrative and said his father likely panicked when masked men with guns suddenly surrounded him without identifying themselves. “He just got scared,” Alejandro said. “When you see masked men with big guns coming at you and they don’t say who they are, anyone would be terrified. You’re going to want to defend yourself.”
“He always said, ‘I can’t just stop working. I have to provide for myself and for you.’”
Workplace raids like the one that led to Narciso’s arrest have become a signature tactic of the Trump administration’s immigration crackdown. Immigration advocates argue that such raids create chaos in immigrant communities, traumatize families, and destabilize industries that depend heavily on immigrant labor.
Alejandro, who served four years in the Marines, said the experience has left his family heartbroken. Both of his younger brothers are currently serving in the military.
“It’s hard for us,” he said. “We feel hurt. We feel betrayed. My father raised us to serve this country, and now this is how he’s treated.”
The incident has ignited renewed outrage over aggressive immigration enforcement tactics and the treatment of undocumented individuals, even those with no criminal records who have lived in the U.S. for decades. Advocates are calling for accountability and urging lawmakers to reconsider the human cost of current immigration policies.
Marine Veteran Says Father Is Suffering in ICE Custody as Officials Face Backlash Over Violent Arrest
Alejandro Barranco, a former Marine, says his father is emotionally and physically suffering after being detained by federal agents during a violent ICE workplace raid in Southern California. Speaking about recent phone calls with his father from the detention facility, Alejandro described the pain his family is enduring.
“I don’t think the way this is going is right,” he said. “I believe in a better system. People like my dad, my mom—any parent or close family member of a law enforcement officer or military service member—they should have easier and fairer access to legal status.”
To help cover legal expenses, the family has launched a GoFundMe campaign. ICE has not yet responded to CNN’s request for comment.
Local Leaders Speak Out: “This Is Traumatizing the Community”
The arrest has drawn outrage from community leaders, including Santa Ana City Council member Johnathan Hernandez, who said the ongoing ICE raids are deeply harming immigrant communities.
“These raids traumatize Santa Ana,” Hernandez said in an interview. “What we’re seeing on our phones are hardworking, honest people being arrested, stripped of their rights, and beaten by masked men who don’t even identify themselves.”
Hernandez, who is of Mexican descent, said the Barranco family represents the very spirit of American values. “They are as American as they come, and yet they are treated like they don’t belong—even while dedicating every bit of their life to this country.”
He emphasized that many Mexican Americans have fought for or are currently serving in the U.S. military. We still have our children and loved ones serving today.”
This man was not committing a crime. The only thing ICE had on him was that he was undocumented—and that’s not a justification for beating someone.”
ICE Masking Practices Under Fire
“It’s absolutely horrifying,” he said. “It creates fear. People don’t feel safe when they see these vehicles pulling up in their neighborhoods.”
ICE officials, including Acting Director Todd Lyons, have defended the use of masks, saying agents are trying to protect their families from online harassment.
The New York City Bar Association recently weighed in, calling the masked raids an apparent “effort to evade accountability.” Meanwhile, U.S. Representative Stephen Lynch (D-Mass.) compared the practice to the actions of Nazi Germany’s Gestapo.
“When you look at the old footage of the Gestapo dragging people off the streets of Poland and compare that to these masked federal agents—there’s a disturbing similarity,” Lynch said earlier this month in remarks captured by C-SPAN.
Councilmember Hernandez concluded by underscoring the essential role of Mexican and Mexican American communities in the fabric of American life.
“A day without Mexicans in this country is a day without America.”
As Narciso Barranco remains in ICE custody, his son Alejandro continues to push for justice and reform—drawing on his own service as a Marine and the values his father instilled in him. “But right now, all we feel is heartbreak.”