ICE Responds to Viral Video of Window-Smashing Arrest Amid Swirl of Online Rumors

Federal agents in Massachusetts smashed a car window to arrest a man suspected of being in the country illegally, and the incident has now gone viral, sparking a storm of rumors and online debates.

The dramatic scene unfolded in New Bedford, where Boston-based ICE officials tried to speak to two individuals barricaded inside a vehicle. The pair claimed they were waiting for their lawyer, but after the agents' repeated attempts to communicate failed, one agent used a hammer to break the backseat window. The tense standoff, caught on video by the detainee's wife, quickly spread across social media platforms — and, naturally, the internet did what it does best: speculate wildly.

The man arrested was identified as 29-year-old Juan Francisco-Mendez, a Guatemalan national. His attorney, Ondine Gálvez, said Francisco-Mendez has no criminal record in Massachusetts and is seeking asylum. His wife, Marilú, described the arrest as violent and harsh, adding more fuel to the controversy online.

Amid the viral chaos, rumors began circulating that the window-smashing agent was Lewis Arthur, a far-right militia leader. ICE was quick to push back, firmly denying these claims and emphasizing that the officer is a legitimate federal agent, not an out-of-state militia member moonlighting as law enforcement. ICE also declined to release the agent's name but confirmed he has long served the New England region.

ICE stated that Francisco-Mendez refused to comply with officers' instructions, leading to the use of what they called the "minimum amount of force necessary." The agency also said that their officers are facing a 300% increase in assaults during enforcement operations—a stat that certainly shows just how heated these situations can get.

For the record, ICE says Francisco-Mendez is in the country illegally, despite his ongoing asylum claim. He’s now been served notice to appear before a Justice Department immigration judge.

ICE went out of its way to call the militia rumors not just false, but "inflammatory," saying such misinformation endangers their officers. In a world where social media rumors can take on a life of their own, it seems even federal agents aren't immune from being cast in wild internet conspiracy theories.