Missing Man’s Family Fears the Worst After Witnesses Say He Was Arrested by Immigration, Which Authorities Dispute

A 44-year-old Mexican man has been missing for more than a month after his family says he may have been taken into immigration custody in Los Angeles in early October. Federal officials deny that he was among those detained.

“We’re sad and worried,” Felipe Aguilar told The Los Angeles Times, speaking about his brother, Vicente Ventura Aguilar, who disappeared after what the family believes was an arrest on Tuesday, Oct. 7.

Vicente came to the United States around 2008, according to The Los Angeles Times and MS NOW, and did not have legal authorization to remain in the country. Felipe said the family is desperate for any confirmation that Vicente is safe.

“He’s my brother and we miss him here at home,” Felipe said. “He’s a very good person. We only hope to God that he’s alive.”

Witnesses told both outlets that Vicente was seen on video smiling and dancing with friends shortly before immigration agents moved into the area. He had left home that morning for a job interview and later crossed paths with acquaintances, The Los Angeles Times reported.

MS NOW reviewed surveillance footage from a strip mall that shows Vicente dancing with a friend on the sidewalk about five minutes before masked agents began detaining people nearby, though the moment he was taken was not captured on camera.

A friend who was detained at the same time told The Los Angeles Times that Vicente was brought to B-18, a short-term federal holding facility in downtown Los Angeles. The next day, detainees were transported to the U.S.-Mexico border. During processing at an immigration checkpoint, Vicente reportedly suffered what witnesses described as a medical emergency.

According to The Los Angeles Times, Vicente was seen shaking violently, losing consciousness, and collapsing while still in shackles. Other detainees said they were told to leave the room as Vicente was taken away for medical care.

“His arms and legs were shaking really bad,” one witness told MS NOW. “He looked like he was dying.” Felipe said the family fears the worst. “We’re afraid that he’s dead,” he told MS NOW, adding that their mother in Mexico is especially distraught.

The Department of Homeland Security told The Los Angeles Times that 73 Mexican nationals were arrested in Los Angeles on Oct. 7 and Oct. 8, but spokesperson Tricia McLaughlin said Vicente was not among them.

“For the record, illegal aliens in detention have access to phones to contact family members and attorneys,” McLaughlin added.

Attorney Lindsay Toczylowski, who represents Vicente’s family, said she has repeatedly sought information from federal agencies without success.

“There’s only one agency that has answers,” Toczylowski told The Los Angeles Times. She argued that the silence from authorities reflects the harshness of the current enforcement climate. “Mistakes get made,” she said. “Right now, what we want to know is what mistakes were made here, and where is Vicente now?”

Loved ones and legal advocates have searched hospitals and contacted local police to file a missing person’s report. The family also suspects Vicente may have provided a different name during the arrest, potentially complicating efforts to locate him.

Rep. Sydney Kamlager-Dove has joined the inquiry, sending a letter last week to leaders at ICE, DHS, and U.S. Customs and Border Protection demanding clarification. She asked whether authorities had checked for detainees matching Vicente’s description under alternate spellings or aliases, and requested details about any medical emergencies in custody that could align with his case.

“No family should ever have to wonder whether their loved one has been lost — or worse — while in the custody of CBP or ICE,” Kamlager-Dove said in a statement.

For Vicente’s family, the central question remains unanswered: if he was detained, where did he go — and why has no agency confirmed his whereabouts.