Witness says masked gunmen opened fire; later ICE/HSI operation removed relative to immigration custody
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Summary
Daniel Rascon testified that masked, armed men in unmarked vehicles shot at his family's truck in mid-August 2025, and that later ICE/HSI agents conducted a large early-morning operation that resulted in his future father-in-law's transfer to immigration custody; a federal judge reviewed video evidence and dismissed related federal charges.
Daniel Rascon, 23, told lawmakers that in mid-August 2025 he, his future father-in-law, Francisco Longoria, and another family member were boxed in by two unmarked trucks and confronted by four masked men who refused to identify themselves.
"We were instead met with gunfire," Rascon said, describing one man firing at the passenger side of their pickup as the family drove away. He said the attackers broke both front windows, attempted to force their way into the truck and struck Longoria before the family escaped and called 911.
Rascon said local officers arrived shortly after and, he alleges, handcuffed Longoria and questioned family members at the home. He told the panel the same four men who had attacked the truck were later permitted to come to the residence and that one of them questioned a family member about the video recording of the attack.
According to Rascon, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement and Homeland Security Investigations agents then arrived in unmarked vehicles and tactical gear. Rascon recounted that an HSI agent told him, as Rascon was quoting the agent, "for all intents and purposes, we are the FBI." He said the operation included more than 20 HSI/ICE agents, more than 30 local officers, and use of a drone to map the property.
Rascon described a second early-morning operation about two weeks later in which men in an armored vehicle and with night-vision equipment surrounded the house, used a bright green laser on rifles and ordered the family outside via megaphone. Rascon said officers broke the locks, produced a warrant and removed Longoria from the home.
Rascon told the panel a federal judge later reviewed the recording of the vehicle encounter and dismissed federal charges connected to the case. He said Longoria was transferred to immigration custody and held for about three months before his release on bond.
Rascon closed his remarks by saying the events had "changed our lives forever" and by thanking Senator Blumenthal and Senator Garcia for hearing his testimony.
