Key facts
- ICE and CBP agents stopped Francisco Longoria's truck on August 16, 2023, without a warrant.
- During the stop, agents smashed the truck's windows, and one agent fired three shots at the vehicle.
- Longoria was subsequently charged with weaponizing his vehicle against officers, leading to his arrest and detention.
- The charges against Longoria were eventually dropped.
- The family has filed a lawsuit seeking damages for physical and psychological injuries, lost wages, and reputational harm.
Francisco Longoria, a party supply business owner, was driving with his son and son-in-law when three unmarked vehicles stopped his truck. Four masked men, identified as agents from US Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) and US Customs and Border Protection (CBP), exited the vehicles with guns drawn. Despite not presenting a warrant, agents smashed the truck's windows, and one agent fired three shots at the vehicle as Longoria drove away. The incident left the passengers terrified, with Longoria fearing for his life.
Upon returning home, Longoria called the police to report the shooting. However, federal officers had already informed local police that they had fired at the truck, leading to a misunderstanding where local police believed Longoria had returned fire. Longoria was arrested by local police but later released. Subsequently, ICE and Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) agents attempted to arrest him again without a warrant, leading to a standoff with neighbors who came out to support the family.
The family has filed a lawsuit against the federal government and the involved officers, alleging excessive force, violation of CBP's use of force policy, and wrongful incarceration. They seek damages for physical and psychological injuries, lost wages, property damage, and reputational harm. Longoria suspects racial profiling was a motive for the stop, noting the aggressive immigration raids occurring in the predominantly Latino area at the time. The lawsuit also alleges officers violated a temporary restraining order prohibiting targeting based on race, language, or type of work.