Veteran Claims ICE Agents Burst into Cabin 'Screaming,' Then Wrongfully Detained Him During 50th Birthday Cruise
- - Veteran Claims ICE Agents Burst into Cabin 'Screaming,' Then Wrongfully Detained Him During 50th Birthday Cruise
Kimberlee SpeakmanJanuary 7, 2026 at 12:35 PM
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Jose Martinez, a U.S. Coast Guard veteran, said he was detained by border agents when his cruise ship docked in Miami on Monday, Jan. 5
He said that he was handcuffed, taken to a holding cell on the ship and detained for about 90 minutes before finally being let go after being questioned and having his fingerprints taken
He said the border agents told him that they had detained the wrong person before releasing him
A U.S. veteran’s 50th birthday cruise celebration ended with him being wrongfully removed and detained by ICE agents.
Jose Martinez, a U.S. Coast Guard veteran, said that he had been celebrating his and a friend’s birthday on the cruise alongside his wife Tamara Verhas. Everything went smoothly until the ship docked in Miami on Monday, Jan. 5, according to KOLD, ABC15 and 12News.
Martinez alleged that three armed agents burst into his cabin before sunrise while he was sleeping. He recalled to KOLD that there were “flashlights in our faces, [agents] screaming my name, barking commands, telling me to get out of bed, [and they] put me up against the wall and handcuffed me.”
He said the agents then took him to a holding cell on the ship, where he was detained for about 90 minutes. During this time, he said he asked the agents if he would be able to show proof of his identification and discussed serving in the U.S. Coast Guard, per ABC15.
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Martinez said he was questioned some more and fingerprinted before agents finally released him and allegedly told him that they had detained the wrong person, the outlet reported. He further noted that the agents offered him no apology for the mistake.
"From what I understand, all of this was based off my first and last name, a very common Hispanic name," he told 12 News. "They thought I was someone who had warrants for drug trafficking or some sort of offender."
The U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) did not immediately respond to PEOPLE’s request for comment on the incident.
A representative for Carnival told PEOPLE in a statement: “We are aware that U.S. Customs and Border Protection took a guest into custody as a person of interest. As this is a law‑enforcement matter, we defer all further questions to the appropriate authorities.”
Verhas told 12 News that she had recorded the whole incident, but that a female ICE agent “snatched” her phone away. She said that her phone was returned, but only after the video she attempted to record of her husband being taken away by agents was deleted.
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Verhas told KOLD, “The people who are supposed to keep you safe violated us, and that’s a hard thing to live with.”
“It was just very disorientating, traumatizing, and I wouldn’t wish it upon anybody,” Martinez added to the outlet of the ordeal.
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"The fact that what happened to me shows this could happen to anybody," he explained to ABC15. "There is so many other people out there that this is happening to, maybe not on a cruise ship, but maybe on the streets or in their homes. And it's just not right. There's no humanity in it. It's unnecessary. It's dehumanizing."
on People
Source: “AOL Breaking”
