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US citizen activist rammed by ICE agent, detained after false arrest claims

Oct 16, 2025 · Oxnard, CA

US citizen activist rammed by ICE agent, detained after false arrest claims

On October 16, 2025, Leonardo Martinez, a US citizen volunteer with VC Defensa immigrant rights group, was monitoring ICE enforcement activity in Oxnard, California when federal immigration agents in an unmarked SUV rammed his pickup truck, injuring him. Agents then falsely told dispatchers and investigating officers that Martinez had hit them. Body camera footage from Oxnard Police and witness videos contradicted the federal agents' accounts. Martinez was arrested and taken to Metropolitan Detention Center in Los Angeles, where he was detained but released the same day. He was informed he faced charges but has not been formally charged in any jurisdiction.

Timeline

Oct 16, 2025ICE agents in unmarked SUV rammed Leonardo Martinez's pickup truck in Oxnard while he was observing immigration enforcement; agents made false statements to dispatchers and police about the incident; Martinez was arrested and detained at Metropolitan Detention Center in Los Angeles
Oct 16, 2025Body camera footage from Oxnard Police and witness videos confirmed federal agents' false claims; Martinez was released from detention the same day despite being informed of potential charges

Sources

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