Additional Coverage:
- ICE agents point assault rifle at citizens and shatter car window for ‘honking car horn’ (themirror.com)
Border Patrol Agents Accused of Aggressive Tactics in Charlotte Amidst ICE Operation
Charlotte, NC – A recent incident in Charlotte has ignited further concern regarding the tactics employed by federal agents during “Operation Charlotte’s Web,” a large-scale Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) sweep. Reports and social media videos depict Border Patrol agents allegedly pointing an assault rifle at U.S. citizens, shattering a car window, and forcibly removing a woman from her vehicle after she was accused of honking her horn to warn others of agent presence.
The incident, captured on video by a witness, shows a Border Patrol agent aiming a firearm into a car and subsequently breaking the driver’s side window before pulling a woman from the vehicle. According to WCNC Charlotte, both women involved in the incident are U.S. citizens. One woman was reportedly arrested moments before the video began.
Family members of the women told WCNC that the pair were accused of using their car horn to alert neighbors and passersby about the ongoing Border Patrol raids. Agents allegedly pursued their vehicle before confronting them on a residential street.
The husband of one of the women reported being unable to contact either woman for several hours while they were detained at an FBI facility. Both women were later released with citations, and their families have opted to remain anonymous due to concerns about potential retaliation.
Witness Shea Watts, who filmed the encounter, expressed his dismay to WCNC, stating, “It’s like somewhere between disbelief and just being really upset that this is our reality now.” In the video, Watts can be heard remarking, “He’s breaking the window.
He’s got an assault rifle pointed at her.” He further corroborated the accusation that the women were targeted for honking their horn to alert people.
Charlotte attorney Gary Mauney clarified to WCNC that while citizens have a First Amendment right to film law enforcement, agents can make arrests if they believe individuals are interfering with operations, which could include warning others of their presence.
“Operation Charlotte’s Web” has been met with significant community backlash. School attendance plummeted across Charlotte, with over 56,000 students absent over two days in protest of ICE’s presence.
In a statement, the U.S. Department of Homeland Security asserted that federal agencies continue to target “some of the most dangerous criminal illegal aliens” as the operation progresses.
However, this claim is being challenged by local residents and state representatives. Numerous videos circulating on social media reportedly show individuals with no apparent criminal history being arrested with considerable force.
North Carolina’s Democratic Governor Josh Stein released a statement highlighting these concerns, noting, “The vast majority of people they have detained have no criminal convictions, and some are American citizens.” The ongoing operation continues to generate widespread fear and controversy within Charlotte’s immigrant communities and among civil liberties advocates.