ICE violently arrested a US citizen and filmed it like a documentary', videos reveal

"Cerna, a carpenter, is a US citizen and southern California native. But ICE was targeting him after a border agent reported that Cerna had assaulted him during a rowdy anti-ICE protest days earlier. The officers arresting Cerna detonated flash-bang grenades and pointed assault rifles at his car, with his infant and toddler inside. The agents, court records show, were also filming high-quality footage of the arrest operation, which they would later post to social media."

"It was 11 June 2025, and as Cerna exited his vehicle with his hands raised, he realized the masked men weren't street criminals as he initially feared. They were Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents. Christian Cerna, 28, was driving with his partner and their two young children through Los Angeles, when two vehicles rammed his car and a group of men jumped out and trained their guns on them."

"The tactics, a federal judge later said, were part of ICE's vindictive effort to impose extrajudicial punishment. It was like they were trying to make a movie, Cerna said in a recent interview, speaking publicly for the first time about his arrest. They were like the bullies in high school taking photos to humiliate me and to prove a point to say, if you say anything against what we're doing, there will be consequences."

"The story of Cerna's arrest and prosecution provides a window into the anger and fear sparked by the Trump administration's brutal crackdown on immigrant communities and how federal officials have sought to forcefully suppress dissent and demonize protesters in the media leaving a lasting impact on families caught in the crossfire."

Christian Cerna, a US citizen and southern California native, was driving in Los Angeles with his partner and two young children when two vehicles rammed his car. Masked men exited and pointed guns at the family, then arrested him after he raised his hands. Court records indicate the officers used flash-bang grenades and filmed the operation, later posting high-quality footage to social media. A federal judge later characterized the tactics as vindictive and as extrajudicial punishment. Cerna said the arrest felt like humiliation and intimidation meant to deter him from speaking out. The case is presented as reflecting fear and anger tied to a harsh federal crackdown and efforts to suppress dissent.

Read at www.theguardian.com