Mother of U.S. citizen taken by ICE in Pico Rivera speaks out

PICO RIVERA, Calif. — After more than 24 hours, the mother of a U.S. citizen taken into custody has located her son. During a chaotic immigration enforcement interaction in a retail parking lot on Tuesday, he was detained and his family confirmed he is currently being held at the federal building in DTLA.

Adrian Andrew Martinez, 20, was tackled and forcibly detained by several U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents in a parking lot near the 8600 block of Washington Boulevard. According to his mother, Myra Martinez, Adrian Martinez had clocked in for his shift at Walmart around 5 a.m. and went on a break at approximately 8 a.m. when ICE agents were reportedly seen in the vicinity.

According to eyewitnesses, Martinez may have attempted to intervene when agents began questioning his co-worker in the parking lot. There are several widely circulated videos being shared online of the interactions between Adrian Martinez and armed masked men, who were later identified as ICE agents. 

The footage, which quickly went viral on social media platforms, shows agents in tactical gear restraining Martinez as they wrestle him to the ground. A voice off camera can be heard saying, “these are legal citizens!” 

Martinez, who was born in Los Angeles and holds U.S. citizenship, has not been seen or heard from since the incident.

“I just want to know where my son is,” said Myra Martinez, Adrian’s mother, in an exclusive interview with CALÓ News. A mother of five, Ms. Martinez said she learned of her son’s detention at the same moment much of the public did — when video of the incident began circulating online.

“I was at work when one of my daughters sent me a message with the video, saying that they had taken Adrian,” she recalled. Witnessing the force used against her son, she said, was deeply painful. “It really hurt,” she added, noting that she left work immediately to locate him.

Since Adrian was abducted, Myra Martinez said she has not received any information about his whereabouts. “Right now, I have no idea where my son is,” she said.

According to Ms. Martinez, officials with U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement told her that they had no record of Adrian in their system. “I already went looking for him,” she said. “I went to the place where they’re detaining everyone — ICE told me they don’t have him, that they don’t have no one by that name.” She also went to a federal detention facility, but was again told that no one by his name was being held there.

Community members expressed alarm over the incident, noting that the detainment of U.S. citizens by ICE has become an increasingly frequent and troubling pattern. Advocates argue that such cases raise serious constitutional questions. According to Mr. Martinez’s mother, the only elected official who has reached out to the family so far is State Senator Bob Archuleta (D-30), who offered assistance in locating her son.

On Tuesday evening, residents gathered in Pico Rivera to demand that the city sever any ties with ICE and U.S. Customs and Border Protection. The demonstration began at Pico Rivera City Hall and concluded with a march to the Walgreens near Washington Boulevard and Rosemead Boulevard, where Mr. Martinez was reportedly detained.

“If anyone has any information, or anyone can help me to find my son… I just want to know if he’s okay,” said Mrs. Martinez.

ICE states they were not operating in Pico Rivera on June 17, and would refer CALÓ News to CBP.