Veteran Claims ICE Agents Burst into Cabin ‘Screaming,’ Then Wrongfully Detained Him During 50th Birthday Cruise

A U.S. Coast Guard veteran says his 50th birthday cruise ended in a frightening ordeal after he was mistakenly taken into custody by immigration agents when the ship docked in Miami.

Jose Martinez told KOLD, ABC15 and 12News that he was celebrating his birthday — along with a friend’s — on the cruise with his wife, Tamara Verhas. He said the trip was uneventful until the ship arrived in Miami on Monday, Jan. 5.

Martinez alleged that three armed agents entered his cabin before sunrise while he was asleep. He recalled to KOLD that there were “flashlights in our faces, [agents] screaming my name, barking commands, telling me to get out of bed, [and they] put me up against the wall and handcuffed me.”

He said agents escorted him to a holding cell onboard, where he was detained for about 90 minutes. During that time, Martinez told ABC15 he asked whether he could provide identification and also explained that he had served in the U.S. Coast Guard.

Martinez said he was later questioned again and fingerprinted before agents released him — and allegedly told him they had detained the wrong person, according to KOLD. He said he did not receive an apology.

“From what I understand, all of this was based off my first and last name, a very common Hispanic name,” he told 12 News. “They thought I was someone who had warrants for drug trafficking or some sort of offender.”

A representative for Carnival told PEOPLE in a statement: “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.”

Verhas told 12 News she recorded the incident, but said a female agent “snatched” her phone away. She said the phone was returned, but only after the video she attempted to record was deleted.

Verhas told KOLD, “The people who are supposed to keep you safe violated us, and that’s a hard thing to live with.”

“It was just very disorientating, traumatizing, and I wouldn’t wish it upon anybody,” Martinez added to KOLD.

“The fact that what happened to me shows this could happen to anybody,” he told ABC15. “There is so many other people out there that this is happening to, maybe not on a cruise ship, but maybe on the streets or in their homes. And it’s just not right. There’s no humanity in it. It’s unnecessary. It’s dehumanizing.”