On a quiet Saturday morning in San Bernardino, California, a dramatic encounter unfolded that has since reverberated across the city and beyond. Federal immigration agents, masked and in unmarked vehicles, converged on a family’s truck during what officials described as a “targeted enforcement operation.” The result: shattered glass, gunfire, a frantic escape, and a community now grappling with questions about law enforcement tactics, sanctuary policies, and the boundaries of federal power.
According to the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), the incident began around 8:40 a.m. on August 16, 2025, when Customs and Border Protection (CBP) officers attempted to stop a vehicle as part of an immigration operation. The official account, as reported by KABC and confirmed in DHS statements, asserts that the driver refused to exit his vehicle, then “drove his car at the officers, striking two.” In response, a CBP officer “was forced to discharge his firearm in self-defense.”
But the family caught in the middle tells a very different story. Martin, who was in the back seat during the incident, recounted to Eyewitness News and CBS News Los Angeles that he, his father-in-law, and his 18-year-old brother-in-law were working together that morning. Suddenly, their vehicle was surrounded by unmarked cars and men in masks with pistols drawn. “They hopped out with their pistols already drawn. Then they proceeded to ask us to lower the window and open the doors,” Martin said. Crucially, he emphasized, the agents did not identify themselves as law enforcement.
As fear escalated inside the truck, the family chose to stay put, doors locked. Moments later, as seen in video footage later posted by the Inland Coalition for Immigrant Justice (IC4IJ), the masked agents shattered two windows. “Once the glasses were shattered, my father-in-law feared for his life, from his perspective. And so he… I guess the car was already in drive, so he drove the vehicle away from where those agents were at,” Martin recalled. In the chaos that followed, three gunshots rang out. “Thank God the bullets didn’t go through the truck. They just went in, got stuck into the door, but they were aimed at my brother-in-law, who was in the passenger front. And so I was just glad he was OK,” Martin told reporters. Images shared with CBS News Los Angeles show bullet holes in the vehicle’s exterior.
After the harrowing escape, the family returned home and immediately called the San Bernardino Police Department (SBPD), reporting that “masked men had tried to pull him over, broke his car window, and shot at him.” When officers arrived at the family’s residence in the 1000 block of Mt. View Drive, they found the damaged vehicle and quickly realized federal agents were already on scene. According to the SBPD, “at that time, it was unclear what the suspect was wanted for.” Under the California Values Act—state legislation that prohibits local law enforcement from assisting with federal immigration enforcement—SBPD officers left the scene, leaving the matter to federal authorities.
The standoff, however, was far from over. According to IC4IJ, federal agents remained outside the home for hours, seeking to pressure the driver to surrender. Family members and advocates claim agents did not provide a warrant or communicate clearly with those inside, instead relying on a show of force. “They allegedly did not provide a warrant and did not make attempts to communicate with the suspect or his family,” IC4IJ stated, echoing Martin’s account.
As the hours stretched on, a crowd began to gather outside the residence, drawn by the commotion and the growing tension between federal agents and the family. At around 1:15 p.m., federal agents requested SBPD assistance again—this time, citing officer safety concerns due to the crowd. “Under the California Values Act, local law enforcement may assist federal officials when officer or public safety is at risk. In this case, federal agents requested assistance during a lawful arrest for assaulting a federal officer when a crowd created a potential officer safety concern. This was not an immigration-related arrest, which would be prohibited under California law,” the police department explained in a press release.
Ultimately, the man at the center of the operation—Martin’s father-in-law—was briefly detained but released. Federal agents, according to DHS, were unable to arrest him because they lacked a warrant. “Despite the subject refusing to comply and wounding two officers,” DHS said, “he was set free… It is yet another tragic example of California’s pro-sanctuary policies that shield criminals instead of protecting communities.” The Inland Coalition for Immigrant Justice, however, counters that the man has no criminal record and has lived in the United States for 23 years. “He’s always just been a hardworking man. There’s no reason he shouldn’t have gotten his green card a long time ago,” Martin said. “He’s tried many, many, many times. [The government has] always denied it.”
The shooting and subsequent standoff have ignited fierce debate in San Bernardino and across California. Community advocates like Javier Hernandez, Executive Director of IC4IJ, argue that the incident exemplifies the dangers of unchecked federal enforcement. “It seems there’s a lot of impunity, and this might be one of the cases where we can bring forward to the courts and say, ‘This is what’s happening when you let loose an administration and an agency to just, basically, create their own rules,’” Hernandez said. The organization has called for accountability and transparency, especially in light of previous raids that have resulted in injuries or fatalities.
Meanwhile, federal officials maintain that their actions were justified, citing the injuries sustained by two CBP officers and the suspect’s alleged refusal to comply. Yet, video reviewed by multiple news outlets, including KABC, does not show the driver attempting to run down officers. The extent of the officers’ injuries has not been disclosed, and questions remain about the decision to approach the vehicle in the manner seen in the videos.
For the family at the heart of the ordeal, the fear lingers. “They’re definitely gonna come back. There’s no doubt about it,” Martin told CBS News Los Angeles. “Now we’re gonna be looking over our shoulder and fearing for our safety.”
As federal investigators continue to probe the shooting, San Bernardino finds itself at the crossroads of a national debate over immigration, law enforcement, and the limits of state and federal authority. The events of August 16 have left a community unsettled, a family shaken, and a nation once again questioning the cost of enforcement in the pursuit of security.
