PHOENIX (AZFamily) — A Valley couple says a dream vacation turned into a nightmare after immigration agents detained the husband on a cruise ship.
Jose Martinez said he was taken into custody on a Carnival cruise ship Monday morning. He and his wife, Tamara Verhas, are U.S. citizens.
The couple says three armed agents dressed in black busted into their stateroom before sunrise, handcuffing Martinez.
“Flashlights in our faces, screaming my name, barking commands, telling me to get out of bed, put me up against the wall and handcuffed me,” he said.
Martinez, a Coast Guard veteran, said he was escorted off the ship and taken to a concrete holding cell at the Port of Miami.
“Just a steel bench in the back of the room that I sat on waiting for them to verify my identity,” Martinez said.
He says the wait lasted 1.5 hours before he was finally released, without an apology. Martinez was told someone with his same name had warrants out for his arrest.
“I’ve never committed a crime, so much as maybe a traffic infraction, a speeding ticket,” Martinez said. “I’m a law-abiding citizen. I’m a veteran.”
The incident happened at the end of a nine-day Caribbean cruise to celebrate Martinez’s and a friend’s birthdays.
Both Martinez and Verhas described the experience as traumatizing.
“It was just very disorientating, traumatizing, and I wouldn’t wish it upon anybody,” Martinez said.
“The people who are supposed to keep you safe violated us, and that’s a hard thing to live with,” Verhas said.
The couple wants someone to be held accountable and apologize for what happened.
“I don’t care if you’re a migrant, citizen, or veteran. I think I’ve told everybody, it doesn’t matter that I am a veteran, that I’m an American citizen. I wouldn’t wish this upon anybody,” Martinez said.
In a statement, a Carnival Cruise Line Spokesperson said they are aware U.S. Customs and Border Protection took a guest into custody as a person of interest.
“We are aware that U.S. Customs and Border Protection took a guest into custody as a person of interest. As this is a law‑enforcement matter, we defer all further questions to the appropriate authorities.”
Neither CBP nor ICE responded to our request for comment.
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