Freed Veteran says he got caught between protesters and ICE agents on his way to work
Tracy Lehr
CAMARILLO, Calif. – On July 10th, a disabled Army veteran and security guard said he got caught in the middle of protesters and ICE agents at Glass House Farms on his way to work in Camarillo.
Aerial video shows George Retes arriving in his white car at the state licensed cannabis farm.
“Every single officer was giving me different commands, as you can see in the video, some are telling me to reverse and some are trying to rip my door open, some are banging on my windshield,” said Retes.
The 25-year-old Ventura resident and father of two, said he was sprayed with tear gas and pepper spray, also known as ‘OC’ in the military.
“They broke the window and they just dragged me out of the vehicle and then it took two officers to kneel on my back, one on my neck, and arrest me, even though my hands were behind my back.”
Retes works as a security guard for Securitas Security Services USA and was headed to work at Glass House Farms around 2:30 p.m. Thursday when he noticed the commotion.
He said he had turned ICE agents away from the farm before and wasn’t aware they had returned in force that day.
“I found out there was a barricade of ICE agents blocking anyone from driving up or down the street and so that is when I was met with that.”
He said he tried to explain that he is a U.S. citizen who was born in Ventura.
He attended Buena High and Vista Continuation High School before joining the Army at the age of 18.
“They just asked me what I was doing, they asked if I was a citizen and I told them ‘yes’ I told them everything; I was a citizen, I worked there, they didn’t care, they never told me my charges then they sent me away, they sent me to a place in downtown LA without even telling me what I was arrested for, they booked us I was there for three days and yeah in the facility, I can’t say much, I was put on suicide watch,” said Retes.
He said he was distraught over missing his daughter’s third birthday and not being able to contact his family or an attorney.
He said he was not allowed to wash the spray off his hands and body while in custody, despite complaining about the pain.
His hands burned, especially on the first night and still burn a bit now when he touches his eyes.
Retes said he was initially in custody with Cal State University Professor Jonathan Carvello, 37, who was arrested during the protest and released on bond following a court appearance on Monday.
When Retes was released on Sunday he was told charges had been dropped.
A memorial made of flowers and candles is growing outside the farm’s Laguna Road entrance for longtime farm worker Jaime Alanis Garcia, 56, who reportedly fell while being chased and died from his injuries.
Retes said he didn’t know him personally but is upset by what happened at his place of work.
“There is no reason to chase people through fields, there is no reason to have five people on one person, just everything they are doing is wrong, especially the way they are going about it, no one deserves to be treated the way they treat people.”
The Department of Homeland Security detained 361 people at Glass House Farms in Camarillo and Carpinteria.
At least 10 of them are described as teens, as young as 14, who were found at Glass House Farms in Carpinteria July 10.
The company has denied employing underage youth but could not be reached for comment.
Retes now plans to file a lawsuit and said he didn’t want to get into the specifics of his ordeal.
“It was a lot,” said Retes following a Zoom call with a number of journalists.
Retes chose not to comment on whether he voted for President Trump.
“It doesn’t matter the color of your skin, it doesn’t matter if you voted left or if you voted right, black brown, green, no one deserves to be treated this way,” said Retes, “it shouldn’t have happened, I hope this never happens to anyone ever again, no one deserves this.”
Retes said has not been able to return to work and is not sure if he will go back to the farm.
He said his car door is damaged and dented and still smells like the spray used on the crowd.
United Farm Workers helped him share his story and also shared a GoFundMe.
The message in the GoFundMe is as follows:
“My name is George Retes. I’m a 25-year-old U.S. Army veteran, a U.S. citizen, and I work as a security guard at Glass House Farms in Camarillo, California.
On July 10th, I was wrongfully detained by ICE agents while simply trying to report to work. I was pepper-sprayed, tear-gassed, had my car window smashed, and was dragged out of my vehicle at gunpoint — all while I was nonviolent, and doing nothing wrong.
I clearly identified myself as a U.S. citizen and an employee of the farm, yet federal agents ignored me, yelled conflicting orders, and then violently detained me. I was held in custody for three days without any charges, without a phone call, and without access to legal help. I was never told why I was arrested. I never received care to clean myself despite being covered in tear gas and OC spray for days.
This is not how any person should be treated — especially not a veteran who served this country with honor. I didn’t break any law. I was just trying to go to work.
What happened to me wasn’t just a mistake — it was a violation of my civil rights. It was excessive force. And it was a failure of justice. I’m speaking out not just for myself, but for every person who could’ve ended up in my place that day.
I’m calling for a full investigation into the actions of ICE and other agencies involved in this operation. I want the agents who ignored protocol and used force against me to be held accountable. And I want the public to know the truth: this raid didn’t just target immigrants. It hurt Americans too.
I will not stay silent.
I served this country, and now I’m demanding it do right by me.”
Your News Channel will continue to follow the lawsuit when it is filed.
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