Ever since Donald Trump‘s immigration crackdown began, there have been many cases of wrongful detention by ICE agents. Even after several months of the initial operations, the same incidents continue.
Jose Martinez, a Coast Guard veteran, was on a dream vacation abroad on a Carnival cruise ship with his wife, Tamara Verhas. However, it turned into a nightmare on Monday morning when he was handcuffed by the Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents.
According to AZ Family, the couple claimed that three armed officers wearing black uniforms busted into their stateroom early in the morning. “Flashlights in our faces, screaming my name, barking commands, telling me to get out of bed, put me up against the wall and handcuffed me,” said Martinez.
Phoenix veteran says ICE agents wrongfully detained him on cruise trip https://t.co/SKJ3FkRMhM pic.twitter.com/dWpljFnSe7
— azfamily 3TV CBS 5 (@azfamily) January 7, 2026
He continued that he was then taken into custody by agents who escorted him off the cruise ship. He was held in a cell at the Port of Miami. “Just a steel bench in the back of the room that I sat on waiting for them to verify my identity,” said the Coast Guard veteran.
Jose Martinez said he had to wait there for about 90 minutes before he was finally released. He and his wife are both U.S. citizens. When his identity was eventually verified, officers issued him a brief apology. “I’ve never committed a crime, so much as maybe a traffic infraction, a speeding ticket,” Martinez said, adding, “I’m a law-abiding citizen. I’m a veteran.”
Martinez also said immigration officers later told him that someone who shares his name had warrants out for his arrest, which led to the mishap. However, for the couple, who were on what was meant to be their dream vacation, the experience was deeply traumatizing.
🚨BREAKING: ICE/Border Patrol agents were posted up in a grocery store parking lot in Richfield, MN, stopping, detaining, and interrogating people based solely on how they look.
This is racial profiling. It is illegal.
In the video, an agent can be heard yelling at a bystander… pic.twitter.com/gF0MCZRkne
— Jesus Freakin Congress (@TheJFreakinC) January 6, 2026
“It was just very disorienting, traumatizing, and I wouldn’t wish it upon anybody,” Jose said. He was arrested near the end of a nine-day Caribbean cruise. The couple had joined the trip to celebrate Martinez’s birthday. “The people who are supposed to keep you safe violated us, and that’s a hard thing to live with,” said his wife, Verhas.
“I don’t care if you’re a migrant, citizen, or veteran. I think I’ve told everybody, it doesn’t matter that I am a veteran, that I’m an American citizen. I wouldn’t wish this upon anybody,” added the retired Coast Guard member. The pair now want someone to be held accountable for the incident.
Meanwhile, a spokesperson for Carnival Cruise Line also acknowledged the incident. “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,” the statement said.
