A family member is speaking out against a recent ICE operation in northwest Phoenix, condemning it as an excessive use of force. The operation involved an armored vehicle, flashbang grenades, and a large number of ICE agents and law enforcement officers dressed in military-style uniforms, all in an attempt to arrest a single 61-year-old man with health issues.
The arrest took place on Sunday, just over two weeks after President Donald Trump’s nationwide immigration enforcement initiative began on his first day in office.
Video footage from the scene shows an armored vehicle with a battering ram moving through a residential neighborhood in broad daylight. The vehicle halts in front of a home as unmarked vehicles with flashing lights and sirens surround the area, blocking nearby streets. A flash and explosion are heard as the battering ram is deployed, followed by an officer’s voice on a loudspeaker instructing, “This is the police with a warrant. Exit the residence immediately with your hands empty and above your head.” Another explosion is heard as the officer repeats the command.
These videos were shared on social media by Marco Garcia, the son of the man arrested—Alfonso Garcia Vega, 61—along with immigrant rights activist Natally Cruz, who is the director of Puente Arizona, and others.
Garcia, 26, argued that the operation was excessive and unnecessary. He believed it was a deliberate show of force to send a message. “I think it was excessive. I think it was unnecessary for them to do this,” he said, accusing ICE of using the situation as propaganda. “It felt like a show to them.” Garcia also expressed his belief that the operation was meant to intimidate the community.
“When they left, they started sounding their sirens, trying to scare us,” Garcia added.
Cruz, who has witnessed many local ICE arrests, expressed shock at the scale of the operation. “It was almost like they were going after El Chapo,” she said, referencing the infamous leader of the Sinaloa Cartel. “There were more than 30 vehicles.” She believed the use of overwhelming force was intended to instill fear, particularly following recent workshops organized by Puente Arizona and other groups that educated immigrants about their rights, including how to remain silent and not open their doors to authorities.
“I felt like it was an attempt to terrorize the community, sending a message that they would find a way into your home no matter what,” Cruz explained.
ICE has not confirmed the arrest, with spokesperson Yasmeen Pitts O’Keefe stating the agency is preparing a statement.
Garcia argued that his father, Alfonso, was not a public safety threat and was unaware of any criminal history. Alfonso had lived in the U.S. for almost 40 years and raised four U.S. citizen children. The arrest occurred at their home near 16th and Beryl avenues in northwest Phoenix. Garcia revealed that his father had been deported in 2019 or 2020 but had returned to the U.S. last March after being threatened by cartels in Sinaloa, Mexico, for refusing to join them.
Garcia said his father suffers from multiple health issues, including problems with his lungs and stomach, and was seeking medical attention for a potential tumor.
The operation began around 10:30 a.m. on Sunday, when Alfonso was walking home from his sister’s house. Garcia said a man in an ICE vest approached his father, telling him to come over, but his father continued walking and went into their home. “He let us know that immigration was outside,” Garcia recalled, initially thinking it was a joke until he saw the agents outside.
Garcia noticed multiple cars parked in front of a neighbor’s house and saw ICE agents using binoculars to observe their home. After his dogs started barking, he went outside to the back of the house and saw additional ICE vehicles in the alley. When Garcia peered over the fence to understand what was happening, an ICE agent told him to tell Alfonso to surrender or else the situation would escalate.
Garcia responded by stating, “By my understanding, you need a warrant signed by a judge.” The agent responded with a smirk and said they were in the process of obtaining that warrant. Garcia then told the agent, “Once you have the warrant, come knock on the door. We’ll look at it, and my dad will gladly turn himself in.”
