June 18, 2013
News
Man Claims Border Patrol Harassed Him
By KGNS News
A young man says he walks into Los Compadres Meat Market before 4 p.m. today, not knowing what was to soon come.
"I came here with my father to buy some meat to make a BBQ, some Border Patrols just tell me, 'come over here.' I said, 'I want nothing to do with you.'"
That's when 18-year-old Jesus Vargas said an agent grabbed him.
"He grabbed me by the shoulder and threw me on the ground and he slammed my face on the ground."
Vargas showed us some markings he had on his nose and forehead.
His father and cousins said they witnessed the whole thing.
"When I was coming out, I saw the officer jumping on top of my kid and I went outside and asked them, ‘what’s going on?’ And he just took a gun out at me and pointed at me and said, 'Move the hell out of there.'"
"I saw a lot of agents fighting with my cousin. I came outside and one pointed the gun at me."
Border Patrol officials sent us this statement saying: ‘An incident did happen today involving one of our agents near the intersection of Iturbide and Market Street. At this time we are still gathering the facts and the situation is still under investigation.'
Vargas and witnesses also said it was only one agent who, they say, harassed them.
No one was arrested or detained in the incident.
"Just leave it like that, we're not going to arrest you if you don't say nothing. It just stops here."
The family said they were held at the store for about 45 minutes and said they just want to be treated like human beings.
