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Teen US citizens pepper-sprayed, one's wrist broken by ICE while filming stop near school

Sep 15, 2026·Location: Alamo, TX

Teen US citizens pepper-sprayed, one's wrist broken by ICE while filming stop near school
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Luis Ochoa and his friend JC, both 17-year-old U.S. citizens, were detained by ICE agents in Alamo, Texas, after stopping to film agents conducting an enforcement action near Santos Livas Elementary School. The teens said they were on their way to submit paperwork to enlist in the Marine Corps when agents pulled Ochoa from his vehicle, breaking his wrist, and pepper-sprayed both teens and struck JC in the face, despite them stating they were U.S. citizens. One agent reportedly told Ochoa, "I don't give a damn... Your parents can't help you now." Ochoa's mother, Teresa Ochoa, said she went roughly eight hours without information about her son and described it as one of the most frightening moments of her life, adding that the ordeal made both teens reconsider plans to enlist. DHS disputed the account, describing the teens as "anti-ICE agitators" who obstructed a lawful vehicle stop and became physically combative, stating two ICE officers suffered minor injuries. The Alamo Police Department forwarded the teens' complaint to the DHS Office of Inspector General for review.

Timeline

Sep 15, 2026Further details reported on the detention, DHS's disputed account, and the family's response
Sep 11, 2026Teens detained, pepper-sprayed, and injured by ICE while filming an enforcement stop near an elementary school in Alamo, Texas; incident and family reaction reported
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