Published Sep 15, 2026, 9:08 AM EDT The mother of one of the individuals, 17, said her son is now having second thoughts about serving in the military. Follow Published Sep 15, 2026, 9:08 AM EDT Two American teenagers who claim they were on their way to enlist in the U.S. Marine Corps when forcefully detained by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents in Alamo, Texas, in an encounter partially captured on video. Video reported by the Spanish-language broadcaster Telemundo appears to show federal agents surrounding the vehicle of two 17-year-olds, removing one of them from the car and using pepper spray. The individual recording the footage can be heard telling the agents that the two are minors. The video appears to show one of the teens being struck while on the ground. One of the teenagers, Luis Ochoa, 17, told Telemundo that he and the other teen had stopped to record ICE agents detaining people near Santos Livas Elementary School when the agents turned toward them, according to video footage circulating online. Ochoa said he told the agents he was a U.S. citizen and was allegedly told, "I don't give a damn. Your parents can't help you now." He claimed he was pepper-sprayed, briefly got away to a nearby restaurant to seek help, and was then detained. ICE arrests criminal aliens as part of a 3-day targeted enforcement operation in North Texas and Oklahoma.Credit: U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons ICE did not respond to a request for comment from Military.com. This video does not show the full context of the stop, including what, if anything, preceded the moment the recording began or what the agents were responding to. Eight-Hour Detention The two teenagers were held for about eight hours before being released, according to Telemundo. Ochoa's mother told the broadcaster that the detention was one of the most frightening moments of her life and that she feared her son would be taken to Mexico. She also told the outlet that her son, due to the encounter, has reconsidered his plans to enlist. The experience caused her to question how young men are supposed to serve a country that does not uphold their rights. It is not clear from the reporting whether either teenager was charged with anything. Both were U.S. citizens, according to the account they gave Telemundo. ICE has not addressed this claim yet. DHS Calls Teens 'Anti-ICE Agitators' In a statement provided to Military.com, DHS described the two arrested teens as "anti-ICE agitators" who attempted to obstruct officers conducting that vehicle stop in Alamo, Texas. "The two agitators proceeded to follow the officers once they returned to their vehicle, and one of the individuals approached the government vehicle and repeatedly banged on the officer’s window," a DHS spokesperson said. "Officers verbally commanded the agitator to stop his actions, but he refused. "When officers exited the vehicle and attempted to detain him, the agitator became verbally and physically combative and resisted officers. Officers relied on their training to control the situation, and the agitators were placed under arrest. Deportation officers sustained minor injuries and were treated at a local clinic." The spokesperson added that any violence against ICE officers or any law enforcement "will not be tolerated" and that anyone who commits such acts will be subject to arrest and prosecution as permitted by law. “ICE law enforcement officers are trained to use the minimum amount of force necessary to resolve dangerous situations to prioritize the safety of the public and our officers," they added. "Officers are highly trained in de-escalation tactics and regularly receive ongoing use of force training." Recurring Incidents The incident is the latest to draw attention to encounters between immigration agents and people connected to the U.S. military during the Trump administration's expanded enforcement operations. U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) Enforcement and Removal Operations' (ERO) officersCredit: usicegov, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons Military.com previously reported on the detention of relatives of active-duty service members, including the father of a sailor deployed aboard the aircraft carrier USS Abraham Lincoln. By some accounts, dozens of parents and spouses of active-duty troops have been detained during the current administration, and several have been deported. President Donald Trump’s administration has defended these enforcement operations as a matter of following the law. Immigration enforcement was a major campaign policy he ran on in 2024, leading to a resounding presidential election victory. Critics, on the other hand, have raised concerns about the treatment of U.S. citizens and military families caught up in them. Alamo, Texas, sits in the Rio Grande Valley near the U.S.-Mexico border, a region with a heavy federal immigration presence. UPDATED 12:43 p.m. ET, 9/16/26: This story was updated with comment from DHS.