Veteran says he was seized by immigration agents on cruise in case of mistaken identity [View all]
Federal immigration agents boarded a cruise ship docked in Miami and detained a Coast Guard veteran earlier this week in what the veteran and his wife say was a case of mistaken identity.
Jose “Joey” Martinez and his wife, Tammy Verhas, were “dead asleep” in their room when federal agents dressed in all black burst into their room at around 6:30 a.m., the veteran recalled. It was about two hours before the Carnival Cruise Line guests were scheduled to disembark from the ship and go through customs in Miami, Florida.
“We were woken to a loud banging on the door and then suddenly three men entered our room with flashlights, screaming,” Martinez said. “They said ‘Jose Martinez,’ and they ordered me out of bed. I didn’t know who they were. I couldn’t see anything because the lights are shining in my eyes.”
U.S. Customs and Border Protection agents ordered Martinez against a wall and handcuffed him, Martinez said, adding that he “did exactly as instructed because I didn’t want anything to escalate.” He told them he was an American citizen. Agents “paraded” him through the boat “in front of other guests” off the ship and placed him into a holding cell, he said.
https://taskandpurpose.com/news/veteran-immigration-agents-carnival-cruise/
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