Bulwark Takes - Veteran Gassed, Stripped, and Thrown in a Cell (w. George Retes)

Episode Date: October 10, 2025

Tim Miller is joined by George Retes, a U.S. Army veteran and American citizen who was wrongfully arrested and brutalized by ICE while simply trying to get to work. George shares his harrowing story of being surrounded by agents, pepper-sprayed, dragged from his car, locked in a detention center, and even placed on suicide watch—missing his young daughter’s birthday in the process. Read more about George's story: https://newsletter.ofthebrave.org/p/im-a-us-citizen-and-a-veteran-ice

Hey, everybody. It's Tim Miller from the bulwark here. Couldn't be more excited to bring in George Redis. He posted this article on Substack that is moving, infuriating, all of the feelings. The headline was, I'm a U.S. citizen and a veteran. Ice arrested me for no reason. So I guess before we get to the ICE raid and just the fucking despicable behavior by the government and what happened to you, just give everybody like a little first date story, like where'd you grow up, you know. How did you end up in this place? Yeah. Yeah, I was born. I was born and raised here in Ventura, California. I grew up here my entire life, moved around a lot. And just eventually when I turned 18, I was like, I was just tired of like doing the same thing over and

over and just wanted to make a change in my life. And I decided to join the military. I joined the army and I am going infantry and so I ended up getting going to Fort Benning, Georgia for basic training, did that and my first duty station was Fort Wainwright, Alaska. And from there, we deployed in 2019 to 2020 for 2020 for 10 months, came back. to Alaska was there for a little bit and then ended up going to Fort Hood, Texas. And I finished out my contract there. And I ended up getting out. And I was still in Texas for a little bit. Went to school after I got out the Army. Just bounced around trying to figure out what I wanted to do in life, really. Like, I was only like 22 when I got out, I think so, or like 23.

You had the picture yourself in the Army in the article and you look like a baby. Yeah, yeah, I know. I was young. I was 19 going overseas. So, uh, so I mean, like when I got out, I was like, after going through all that and like getting out, it's so different being out in like a civilian world and just like trying to adjust to like being here and like not that military vibe, that army vibe and just, I don't know, I kind of just was trying to figure out what I want to do. So I went to school, uh, got my CDLA license. Uh, I went into, I, I, Didn't follow that. I ended up getting my, or going to dental school to be a dental assistant, just trying to figure out what direction I want to go in. And just eventually I ended up getting my guard card for Texas. And then I also got my guard card in California. And eventually I moved back to California at the beginning of this year. And that's when I got the job working security

for Glasshouse Farms. I joined like a security company and Glasshouse Farms, like contracts them out. So it's a legal weed farm. Yeah, yeah, it was a legal weed farm, completely legal. But I didn't even work for like Glass House themselves. Like they just contracted my security company out and they just put me there. And I didn't even choose to go like it just so happened. Like that was the closest to where job site to where I live.

So they put me there. So let's take you back to July. So it's July 10th and you're going to your shift there in the morning, essentially? I was going to the evening shift. You're going to the evening shift. Okay. Yeah. I was going to the evening shift.

It was my first day, like working the evening shift. And it was just something I was trying to get for a couple months to work that evening shift. So it was my first day, like, getting that, like, going to that shift. So I was just, I was going early. Like, I kind of figured, like, I don't know what happens, like this time. So I fairly, I was just going to go early, chill and just, like, wait until, like, I start. Yeah, beat the traffic. Yeah, beat traffic, just chill.

And just eventually, when I'm driving up, I just that day, I'm driving up, there's just traffic, that entire road going to my work. Cars bumper bumper, people getting out on the side of the road, just people not even in their cars, just literally it's like a just a two-lane road. just one road ends, just one lane on each side. So people are just kind of everywhere, and I make my way through. And I ended up getting to the front where kind of everything's happening. And there's just this line of ice agents lined up across the road, blocking anyone from going across, like, continuing to go, like, up the street. And so I see this.

There's a car in the right lane. I don't know if there was anyone in there, but there's a car in the right lane. So I pull up and I end up going in the left lane. I get out of my car. I put my car in park. I get out. I stand beside my car.

I don't approach that like agents. Like I slowly stand right by my car. And I'm a good distance away. I'm not super close. I'm not like, I'm a good distance away. And so when I get out my car, I basically just like I'm a U.S. citizen.

I work right there where you guys like are at, you guys rated, um, I'm just trying to get to work. Like, so did you approach them and say that or? No, no. I kind of just stood by my car and I was yelling towards them. Like I'm a, like, because there's a lot of people there, protesters banging on stuff and just, so I wasn't trying to get in their face. I wasn't trying to like start a conflict. So I kind of just stood by my car and was like yelling towards them. Like I'm a citizen. Like I can work right there and, uh, just they didn't care. They just were immediately hostile like get the fuck out of, get out of here. and just, I'm sorry, I don't know if I'm able to cuss.

We can cuss, yeah, no, we like cussing. Yeah, all good. I'm going to be doing some fucking cussing once you explain to people what happened. So keep it, keep going. But yeah, they were basically just like, get the fuck out of here. Like, get back in your car, like leave, pull over to the side, works closed today. You're not going to work today. Like, you're missing work today.

Like, get out of here. Pull over. And just like, they're just all yelling different things. like just yelling different things, just being hostile for no reason. And eventually one agent gets like really upset and he like tries to like approach me. And then another agent like steps forward and holds him back. And just I see that and I just don't want any more problems. I'm like, I don't want this to escalate.

Like I'm not here to do any of this. Like I was just trying to get to work. Like I'm clearly not going to get there. So I'm just going to leave. And so I get back in my car. and they just surround my car. They, I have agents on my left, my driver's side, my passenger side, agents behind my car, agents in front, just all yelling at me to do different things.

The agents on the side are playing on my door handles, banging on my windows, like telling me to get out. Agents in the front of my car are telling me to reverse to, like, leave. The agent behind me is like trying to like tell me to like show me to move, like to reverse. And so all these agents are. are doing, like, telling me to do different things. And so I'm just, like, I'm trying to leave. Like, I'm trying to do what you guys are saying.

And so eventually they reversed me out of the way. They reversed me into an angle, basically, and I get back into the right lane. And I'm out of the way at that point. They leave my car alone. They throw tear gas to disperse the protesters. And I'm kind of just trapped there in the right lane, just my car filling up with tear gas. and all their vehicles are passing on the left-hand side. They're all passing by it on the road.

So all their vehicles are passing by. They left my car alone, and I'm kind of just sitting there trapped in my car. Like with tear gas, I have tear gas smoke behind my car just engulfed. Like, I can't see behind me. I'm coughing. I can't see. It's irritating my eyes. And just I'm just sitting there trying to hold out as long as I can.

And so eventually all their vehicles pass by. And I don't know why they eventually come back up to my car and surround my car again. And they start doing the same thing. Agents on the side, pulling my door handles, time me to get out, banging on my windows, telling me to leave at the same time. And then agents in front telling me to leave. Agents behind me telling me to leave. And I'm kind of just in there, like, coughing, trying to catch my breath.

And I'm trying to explain, like, I can't see, like, my car's engulfed in smoke. I'm not just going to reverse and hit someone, hit one of you guys. Like, that's really stupid. Like, I'm not going to do that. Like, that's crazy. Like, and like, they're time me to leave, time me to get out, doing, like, contradicting each other. And I'm just there, like, coughing, trying to catch myself and just eventually my driver's side window shatters. And so they just immediately following shattering an agent sticks his arm through and pepper spares me in the face.

Just immediately after not like a moment. a moment later just didn't ask you for ID nothing no just immediately as the like as soon as my window shattered another agent stuck his arm through and pepper sprayed me in the face a glass flew everywhere I had glass in my leg they pulled they dragged me out of the car uh threw me on the ground uh and I kind of just went with it like I wasn't fighting like there was no point I'm not stupid like I'm not going to fight 20 agents at one It's like that's stupid. So I kind of just go with like, you just got to take it.

As like as much as it sucks, as much as like this is stupid and this is shitty, it sucks. Like, but you got to take it. It's a nightmare. I mean, like you're surrounded like you get pepper sprayed in the face. Like you didn't do anything. You're going to work. Yeah, exactly. And so they drag me out.

They throw me on the ground. And I'm just trying to comply with them, letting them do whatever. And even though I'm compliant. and just letting them do whatever an agent comes and he knills on my neck and another agent knills on my back all while I'm trying to just let them do whatever and they're just sitting on top of my neck and my back. Are you going on my neck and back? Are you like just confused?

I'm just at that point I'm just, yeah, like I'm trying to tell them like I can't breathe. Like I was literally just trapped in my car with tear gas like trying to catch my breath. And you could put everything together. Like if you just tear gas me, you just pepper spray me and then you come nail on my neck and my back, like, without letting me catch my breath. Like, obviously, I can't breathe. And you're like, all this is for no reason. And so I'm just telling them I can't breathe.

Like, I don't know what you guys explain. Like, I can't fucking, like, I can't breathe. And they didn't care. So I kind of just was like that until eventually they zip tied my hands behind my back. And they just picked me up. And they walked me back to the Glass House Farms where I worked. And the entire time they're walking me back, they're kind of just handing me off and just like, why is he arrested? Like who's taking him?

Like, whose responsibility is he? Like, why is he arrested? Like, yeah, they don't even know why I was arrested or like who's taking, like, who's in charge of taking me. And so that are just asking each other entire time they're walking me back. So how did you end up in jail or in detention center? So they go, they walk me back to the farm. They sit me down. I'm there for four hours or so.

They asked me if I have my ID while I'm there. I tell, like, or if I'm a citizen, I haven't told me like, yeah, I'm a citizen. My ID's in my car. Like, if you just go and get my, like, if you just go to my car, my wallet is in there with my ID and everything. Like, I, my plate, say I'm, like, a DV, I have Iraq combat veteran on my, like, on my car. Like, I'm a citizen. Like, I don't know what's happening. And so, I mean, I don't know if they ever went back to my car.

car to check if I have an ID or to check my ID but they just kind of left me there and eventually they put us in unmarked SUVs and they drove us to a Navy base in Port Wayneemie and when we got to the Navy base they took us to this like giant open filled so us is like you and other guys that were working on the farm I guess so so when they took me to the farm they kind of sat me down in the dirt and they kind of like separated me from every everyone else. I'm assuming because they kind of figured I was a citizen and they knew I was a citizen because I'm telling them. Like, I don't know. Like, and then just, they had, and they ended up arresting two other people that were protesters, I believe. And so they kind of kept the

citizens separate from everyone else. So they take you a naval base. Yeah, yeah. So they ended up taking us to the Navy base. And it was just this giant open field, uh, home on security, FBI, like people in the Navy, National Guard, just ICE, like CBP, everyone, like everyone you could think of is there. And they end up doing my fingerprints, they take my picture, they put real cuffs on. And eventually after all that, they end up putting me back into the car and they drive me down to downtown L.A. to the Metropolitan Detention Center. and we get there at around like 1030 at night and so we go through the I guess the normal intake

process strip search what the fuck do you get a call or a lawyer no nothing no call no lawyer like I asked like your strip search they put like they put a jumpsuit on you yeah yeah uh strip searched uh they put us in like a jumpsuit I asked them like like could I shower like I'm covered into your gas. I'm like, do you guys pepper spread me? My like hands and like my face are burning and like, could I shower at least or something? And they're just like, it'll pass. Like, like you're good. Like it'll pass. And so eventually after they in process us, they do our finger like they did our fingerprints and took our picture again, our mugshot. And they throw us in, they put me in a cell that Thursday night. And so that Thursday night I'm in a cell

with one other person. It was a protester who also got the rest of that day, the teacher, whatever, the professor, Jonathan, I was in us out with him. And so just that first night, my hands, my face, just my skin is burning. And so they end up giving us sandwich bags for, like, food, I guess, for our dinner. And so I take the sandwiches out and I fill up the sandwich bag with water from the sink.

And just that entire night, I'm soaking my hands in. and just trying to ease the heat and just the burning sensation of my hands. And it just, like, it didn't help at all. Honestly, it just felt like it made it worse. And just the entire night, I'm just there awake, just burning, my body burning, just anything I touch, just it irritates it, starts, like, catching on fire. And it was just the, like, worse sensation possible. Like, nothing to sue that, just I had to deal with it.

And it was just like I was on fire and just, it was. the worst it was the worst fucking feeling ever they held you there until saturday sunday uh yeah they held me there until sunday but um so that was that thursday night uh friday morning comes around they finished doing our in processing paperwork uh they let us see medical uh and they have to know you're a citizen by then by friday morning yeah yeah so i mean they know i'm assuming they know i'm a citizen i mean they make me do like fill out paper i do my my social security and like i get like i'm in a prison with like other inmates like were you not losing your mind on these people and i guess it's hard for me to like on the one hand there's the one side of me that's like i'd have been

fucking screaming at these guys but like get me a fucking lawyer get me out of here like what the fuck is your problem on the other hand you're scared you're in a prison you're like i don't want it worse i don't know like what was going through your head honestly i was just so like i was like why, like, I was just so unbelievable. I was like, why am I here? Like, what did I do wrong? Like, what just happened? Like, this makes zero sense. Like, I asked for a phone call that didn't happen. I asked for a lawyer that didn't happen. Like, I didn't even get a shower and I'm just there. And I'm just like, what is happening? Like, clearly no matter what I say, it doesn't matter. So I kind of just figured I got to, like, I've just got to take it until

eventually when I get out, like, hopefully something happens. Hopefully I see a judge. Hopefully I don't know. But like that second or third night, though, you've got to be like, how long am I going to be here? Yeah. So that Friday morning, they finished doing our, or they do our medical. It's just like a background of our past and like how we are now. And based off that, they sent us to or they sent me to a psychiatric and I talked to a psychiatric nurse.

And just based off the answers I gave her, she decided I was best to put me on suicide watch. And so that Friday morning, they put me on suicide watch. And they put me in this, they put me in the cell. I'm naked in like a hospital dress and just a concrete bed with like a mattress, like a thin mattress. And they leave the light on 24-7. There's a glass door. An officer is just always standing, like sitting out there. The psychiatric nurse comes and checks on me once a day.

And so from Friday morning to Sunday afternoon when I'm released, I'm literally on, in that cell naked just in that room. What the fuck? What the wet on 24-7? How is this real? Like, this is a nightmare. I mean, like, I'm, my blood is boiling right now. And I knew that it was bad, right?

I didn't realize how bad it was. That is, that's fucking insane. Like, that's something from like a TV show. Like, you're in Guantanamo or something. Yeah. How is that possible that happened? I'm literally wondering the same thing. I was just the entire time I was in.

in there. I was just hoping, like, like, I would just want to see my kids again. Like, literally that's the only thing that matters. Like, I literally just want to see my kids. Like, like, just that whole, like, time, that was the only thing on my mind. How old are your kids? My daughter had turned, uh, just turned three and her birthday party was that Saturday, uh, that I was in there. And what did they? What did, I mean, did your family know where you were? Like, I, um, all. Um, all. they knew was that I was arrested by ice. And that was it. They didn't know where they took me. They didn't know where I was. They called all these other, they called all these agencies,

the sheriff's office in Ventura, Camryo, like Oxnard. They called, they called jail. And they gave them nothing. They never said where I was. They never, they just said that they don't associate with anyone. And that was it. They just kept giving them the run around. No one knew where I was. and so God I'm just so I have so much rage right now for you dude

I just I want to like go fucking strangle one of these guys like I just like how did that like this is so unbelievable I mean obviously it's un-American

that's just horrific so like how did how did it end? I was that Sunday sometime in like the morning close to afternoon an officer came up and was just like, you're off suicide watch, like, you're getting released for the

day or you're getting released. And I was kind of just like shocked. I was like, like, I don't want to get my hopes up. Like, like, I just hear that. So I'm kind of just there. They never took me off suicide watch. I'm still in the cell. Like, even though he said I was off suicide watch. I'm so after he says that, he can't, he just leaves. And I'm there for a couple more hours and another like eventually another officer comes up and he takes me downstairs he gives me back my clothes um they make me sign for my phone my piercings my watch and stuff uh and that was it they were just all they just told me like all the charges on you were dropped uh you're free to go uh and that was it and i was just told like i basically just asked like so i was locked up

i missed my daughter's birthday for no fucking reason and they just stayed silent they couldn't give me an answer and no apology no no just just silence and then you walked out of there and like was your family there did people know or you were just alone you had to order an uber or something no they ended like i got my phone back and uh they walked me out they said uh they gave me like they let me call someone for my phone and they just like call for your ride and so i called and uh someone came and picked me like family came and picked me up were you screaming at them I want to fly there right now and just fucking scream at them. How like were you controlled?

Like are you, I guess you were just. Yeah, I was honestly like after being in the military, like after doing all that, like through that entire process, like I knew to like just be calm. Like I've like I've been through like the mud. I've been through the fucking shit before if I'm being honest with you. Like I know how to keep my cool. I know how to stay calm under pressure and just just all that really helped me. And just when I got released, I just, I was really thankful if I'm being honest with you. Like, who knows what else could have happened or if I even could have been released?

And so when they released me, I was just like, I was just so happy, so relief. Like, it felt so nice to fill the sun, like on my skin to fill air. And so I was honestly just happy. I was relief to like be free to like, just to be let go, to be like free and have freedom. And I was just happy, honestly. like you're a better man than me um i'm going to do my best to try to make you not happy for a second make you get get some rage um these fucking ghouls at dhs put out a press release about you they said you became violent and refused to comply with law enforcement you blocked their

route or refusing to move your vehicle out of the road that's what the government's saying about you what do you think about that uh i think it's absolutely insane uh it's a crazy it's a crazy hill to die on to make those type of accusations when there's so much footage when there's so much evidence when they release me without charges it's just crazy that like it just doesn't make sense to me like why they would make that stance when clearly all the time I mean yeah yeah yeah yeah so I mean I understand like it just shocked me like like why lie like It just makes no sense to me. Like, why lie?

Like, you could have just took this on the chin and just meant like, like, we messed up. Like, take responsibility, take accountability and just say you guys messed up. Take accountability for your actions. But instead, they choose to lie to the public and demonize me and try to make me the villain and just try to tarnish me, basically, and my story, try to use it to promote ICE and say, I'm like inciting violence and stories like mine are inciting violence. It's honestly, it's a terrible feeling that our government would even do that. You know, they did the violence, actually.

Yeah, I yeah. They were the one that did the violence against you, I think, is what happened. So you're suing them? I am in the process of suing them, yes. I made claims. I got to wait six months for them to respond to the claims, basically. And if they don't respond, that's when I could actually. go to a courthouse and yeah what are you going to do in the meantime man like what are you going to do

like what honestly just figuring out my life honestly doing all this is a big responsibility as well uh just sharing my story uh keeping it alive like letting it be known uh you got to pay the bills dude you got a little girl yeah i know uh that i know that's also a big thing and so i i i haven't figured it out. I just, um, just, I don't know, this is really important and, um, someone has to do it. I mean, uh, I get it. Like some people just like this stuff happens to and they just want to forget about it or they just are scared that the government might retaliate. Um, and someone has to do it. And I'm not, I'm not afraid. I mean, I know I did nothing wrong. I know, like, I know the facts for sure and I'm 100% confident in my in my story and so they can lie all they want they can make

all the tweets they want they could try to live in their own reality but the truth is out there and when it like if they want to take it to court I'm like 100% in and I'm 100% ready and it is crazy I mean that's to like you serve the country like you volunteered to serve the country and like the country is doing this to you they menaced you they threw you in a hole for hours and they took you away from your kids and for nothing and like you would think that you know people that um you know kind of portray themselves as wanting to like care about veterans care about the military respect the country that they would um go out of their way to make this right with you and and obviously the opposite is happening i don't know what that makes you

reflect on them or your service in any way um no i wouldn't say like it like makes me change and reflect on my service like i still love this country and like like i i 100% love the army and i love that experience i love the brotherhood and just the family i made and just the experience it made me a better person it helped me grow it mine it taught me a lot um i know that just what's happening right now just doesn't define america what's happening right now just doesn't define the flag that i war, the flag that we stand for, like, this part in our country and our history of what's happening right now just does not define what the flag stands for. And so I have no problem still standing by the flag and standing by believing in the Constitution. Like, it's really

important. And I think it's everyone's job to speak about it, to get involved because it's not just my rights that were violated. It could happen to you. Nothing's really stopping. them really, especially when you can't take accountability to charge federal officers and it's just this big limbo. So I think it's really important to speak out and just tackle this head on. For the government, it's like what they're doing is completely wrong and I don't agree with them at all. And just it doesn't matter if you're left, you're right or you're like, you agree with them. Like it affects us all. Like it doesn't matter. Nothing's stopping them from going to you or like arresting like like well it seems like you are probably a closer target than

me um you know i don't know i don't look visibly you know my court my 25% Lebanese is probably not making me a target but um it could happen any i mean certainly um i think there was a certain type of person that was targeted and um somebody looks like you even if you don't like 100% believe me and you want to believe i or like the government and what they say like and like you really stand behind the government and believe them, like, even if you don't agree with that sense and you really believe, like, they, like, I saw to them and what they say is true. I think everyone could agree on, like, if you don't believe me, at least we could all agree on the fact, like, what the three nights in jail, no attorney, no phone call, no shower is

completely wrong and goes against everything like we're supposed to stand for. And so even if you don't agree with me and you think I'm the villain and all this, and you think I'm wrong and you support the government that much that they can't do any wrong and they can't lie. I hope we could just at least agree on that and agree that that's wrong and we can all have that in common and come together with that. Well, man, you're a better man than me. I appreciate your courage very much for speaking out and for that positive message for everybody. And I don't know if you have any reason to come to New Orleans, but you will never pay for a drink again in New Orleans as far as I'm as long as I'm around all right man and

um it sounds good to me let's uh let's stay in touch and obviously we'll link to what you wrote for home with the brave but if there's other ways for folks to um kind of support what you're doing or the lawsuit or anything um just let us know and we'll put the links here in the show notes all right man all right sounds good I really appreciate it honestly like you having me on here you sharing my story like what you're doing is just as big as uh me what I'm doing I mean it takes everyone to get involved, to really make change. And so thank you, honestly. Thanks, brother. It was a pleasure.

So good to meet you, all right? Yeah, so good to meet you as well. Thank you.