U.S. citizen and Army veteran George Retes sues the federal government, saying agents pepper-sprayed him and held him three days during a Camarillo immigration raid
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George Retes, a U.S. citizen, Army veteran and security guard, says federal agents smashed his car window, pepper-sprayed him and pulled him from his car during a July 10, 2025 immigration raid at a Camarillo, California cannabis farm, and that he was held for about 72 hours without charge, a lawyer or a hearing. On February 18, 2026, represented by the Institute for Justice, he filed suit in the U.S. District Court for the Central District of California against the United States, ICE, CBP and other agencies and unnamed officers, alleging Fourth and Fifth Amendment violations and California law claims. DHS has publicly said he was violent and arrested for assaulting agents; KEYT reports no law enforcement agency has filed an assault charge against him.
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he was detained without a warrant, probable cause, or legitimate explanation for approximately 72 hours
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