The family is demanding answers after a man, a US citizen, said he was illegally arrested by a federal agent during an immigration raid in Montebello.
On June 12, surveillance video captured the moment when several masks and armed agents surrounded Montebello’s tow truck business.
Agents quickly entered the property and began detaining site mechanics and other workers.
One of the detained men who was later released spoke to KTLA but asked not to be identified due to safety concerns. He said that despite being a US citizen, he was hard-grabbed and taken by agents.
“He slammed me into the gate,” the man told KTLA’s Elina Abobian. “He put my hand behind my back. I’m an American citizen. You don’t do that to Americans.”
Natalie Degante, who was arrested in the attack by her cousin Javier Ramirez, 32, said that agents began handcuffing everyone but reportedly did not provide identification or information as to why they were there.
Javier Ramirez, 32, is seen alongside his two children in a family photo. Javier Ramirez was captured in video of his arrest after being handcuffed and arrested by federal agents in the attack in Montebello on June 12, 2025. They surrounded the tow store in Montebello during the immigration raid on June 12, 2025. Javier Ramirez was arrested after being handcuffed by federal agents during a raid in Montebello on June 12, 2025. He was arrested after being handcuffed and handcuffed by federal agents during an attack in Montebello on June 12, 2025. Javier Ramirez was captured in video of his arrest after being handcuffed and arrested by federal agents during a raid in Montebello on June 12, 2025.
“In the video, you can see that they don’t have a warrant,” she said. “They don’t have documents in their hands.”
Degante said her cousin is a US citizen and the father of two young children. She described him as hardworking with no criminal history.
Videos of the attack show that some workers were moved to the ground as agents quickly handcuffed them. Ramirez is also seen in a video of him screaming at his agents that he is a citizen.
“He tells them he’s a US citizen and lets them know, ‘My passport is in my pocket,'” Degante said.
However, Ramirez was handcuffed and taken into custody. His brother tried to chase Ramirez’s location through a mobile tracking app, but eventually the signal was lost. His family hasn’t heard from him since.
“We have not heard anything about him,” said his brother, Abimael Dominguez. “He’s diabetic. You don’t know if he still has insulin or even if he ate it? We don’t know anything.”
It remains unclear whether the agents were with the US Immigration and Customs (ICE) or with the Department of Homeland Security (DHS). Some agents appeared to be wearing uniforms with border patrol insignia.
“I voted, but this wasn’t,” said the man who was taken into custody and later released. “I’m an American citizen. I want to do my best for all of us. I feel there’s a legitimate process that we have to follow.”
“They are not only taking criminals, they are taking away our community,” Degante said.
As of Friday afternoon, Homeland Security had not responded to KTLA’s request for comment on why Ramirez was detained or whether he was asked to commit a crime.
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