Ventura Veteran George Retes speaks after three days in ICE detention

Retes was trying to get to work on July 10th. He ended up in federal custody, covered in pepper spray. Plus: a dive into the federal narrative.

This story was updated at 3 p.m. on July 20th to include an additional statement from Ventura County Sheriff Jim Fryhoff.

Greetings readers! Two quick notes: I’ve been posting reporting updates on Substack notes and on Instagram. Please follow me on those platforms if you’re interested in such things. Also: I’m participating in an Ojai Chautauqua panel discussion on the future of Ojai on July 31st, if you’re interested in that sort of thing. I’ve moderated panels before, but I’ve never actually been part of one.

Onward to today’s story.

George Retes, a 25-year-old Ventura native, drove to work at Glass House Farms' Camarillo location around 2 p.m. on July 10th, like usual.

Retes works at the farm as a security guard. He’s employed by security firm Securitas.

Retes is also a disabled veteran. He enlisted in the U.S. Army when he was 18 and was deployed to Iraq in 2019. “I joined the service to help better myself, to grow, to figure out my life and it was a good starting step. I did it be…