SAN DIEGO – A veteran of the U.S. Marine Corps expressed his astonishment after encountering a video on social media, showing his father—a landscaper in Southern California—being forcefully subdued by masked U.S. Border Patrol officers while restrained on the ground during an immigration-related arrest. Narciso Barranco, who migrated to the U.S. from Mexico during the 1990s without legal documentation, was apprehended on Saturday. This incident has amassed widespread attention amidst President Donald Trump’s administration intensifying immigration enforcement, sparking scrutiny and public protests.
Eyewitnesses recorded videos of the dramatic arrest in Santa Ana, located in Orange County, between San Diego and Los Angeles. However, the footage did not capture the entire sequence of events from beginning to end as officers engaged with Barranco outside an IHOP restaurant.
On Monday, over three hours were spent by Barranco’s son waiting outside a Los Angeles federal immigration detention center, yet he left without an opportunity to meet his father. Personnel at the facility repeatedly informed him that attempting to locate his father was already in progress as visitation hours concluded. The Department of Homeland Security has indicated Barranco is now in the care of Immigration and Customs Enforcement.
Alejandro Barranco reported that his 48-year-old father called him on Sunday, leaving him distressed and in considerable pain.
“He just started crying,” Alejandro recounted.
The Department of Homeland Security has stated that Barranco did not comply with commands and allegedly swung a weed trimmer at an agent. Agents reportedly acted within appropriate guidelines and employed the minimal force necessary, ensuring public and officer safety, according to their email statement.
Alejandro contends that his father did not confront anyone with aggression, asserting his father’s clean criminal record and hardworking demeanor. He highlighted the disparity between this incident and his military upbringing, stemming from serving in the U.S. military’s evacuation operations in Afghanistan in 2021.
“It’s uncalled for, not appropriate or professional in the way they handled that situation,” Alejandro stated. “It looks like he’s putting up resistance on the ground, but that’s a natural human reaction, and I think anybody would do that to defend themselves when they are being beaten.”
In light of the incident, Santa Ana City Council member Johnathan Hernandez has pledged to request a formal investigation.
“I found the video to be horrifying,” Hernandez stated.
Federal authorities have noted an increase in incidents where individuals interfere with arrests, posing potential risks to agents. Subsequently, President Trump has deployed the California National Guard alongside Marines for the protection of federal buildings and personnel in Los Angeles.
Footage released by the Department of Homeland Security depicts Barranco running with the trimmer elevated while agents attempt to intervene. An agent deploys pepper spray at one point, prompting Barranco to maneuver the trimmer defensively without making contact with the officers. Meanwhile, in another segment of the video, Barranco hurriedly crosses an intersection with an agent brandishing a firearm closely behind him.
Further footage captures Barranco attempting to evade officers amidst busy traffic, holding his trimmer aloft, before a nearby truck obstructs his path as he tries opening a car door. Agents then tackle him, amidst car horns blaring and a bystander urging them to “Leave him alone, bro.”
An agent demands Barranco to relinquish his hand as he lies prone. Subsequent video perspectives reveal an officer delivering multiple blows to Barranco’s head and neck while he screams.
The department claimed in an email that Barranco “swung a weed whacker directly at an agent’s face” and fled through a busy intersection, allegedly raising the device menacingly once more.
Barranco declined medical assistance, according to officials.
Each of Barranco’s three sons were born in the United States and have since served in the U.S. military. Alejandro departed from the Marine Corps in 2023, while his siblings continue active service.
“We joined the Marine Corps because we love our country and want to give back,” Alejandro explained. “Our parents taught us to be appreciative, be thankful of our country, about being patriots.”
Their father harbored concerns regarding possible apprehension by immigration officers. Although the family explored possible avenues regarding his status, Alejandro admitted his father never prioritized addressing such issues, choosing instead to devote his efforts to his landscaping business.
Remarkably, Alejandro recalled his father’s first concern, once they spoke after the arrest, revolved around ensuring no mess had been left for their landscaping client when he had to abruptly leave the site, pursued by agents.