Willy Wender Aceituno says he supported Donald Trump because he believed in the president’s promises about strengthening border security and improving the economy. But months after Trump returned to the White House, Aceituno says he encountered federal immigration agents who changed his view of that decision.
According to Aceituno, armed and masked federal agents smashed the window of his truck, dragged him over broken glass, handcuffed him, and drove him around Charlotte before confirming that he was a naturalised American citizen with no criminal record. Reflecting on his earlier vote, Aceituno said, “It was the worst decision of my life.”
On 3 March 2026, the 46-year-old filed federal damages claims against the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), including Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) and US Customs and Border Protection (CBP). The claim was submitted under the Federal Tort Claims Act with legal support from the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) of North Carolina, the Southern Coalition for Social Justice, and Tin Fulton Walker & Owen.
Aceituno, who was born in Honduras and later became a naturalised US citizen, is seeking $1.25 million (approximately £923,000) in damages. According to the legal claim, the incident began on 15 November 2025 when Aceituno stopped at a restaurant car park to pick up food before heading to work. Four masked Border Patrol agents approached him, surrounded him, and asked whether he was a US citizen.
Aceituno provided his REAL ID. After roughly 15 minutes, the agents confirmed he was a citizen with no criminal record and allowed him to leave. However, only minutes later, as Aceituno returned to his red 1998 F-150 truck, two unmarked vehicles blocked him.
Three immigration agents approached, and one demanded that he roll down his window while holding a baton. Aceituno insisted he had already shown identification and repeated that he was a US citizen. The agents then shattered his window.
Bleeding and in pain, Aceituno was handcuffed and placed in an unmarked SUV. He says agents drove him around Charlotte for about 15 minutes before once again confirming his citizenship. He was later dropped off more than two miles from his truck without his keys, medical assistance, or an explanation. He then walked for over 20 minutes back to his vehicle before filing a police report and seeking treatment.
Wender Aceituno“I told them, ‘I’m an American citizen,’” Aceituno said. “They wanted to know where I was born, or they didn’t believe I was an American citizen.” The incident occurred during DHS’s “Operation Charlotte’s Web,” an immigration enforcement effort that resulted in more than 425 arrests across Charlotte and other parts of North Carolina.
Aceituno’s claim includes allegations of false arrest, unlawful detention, assault, excessive force, emotional distress, and constitutional violations. “Mr Aceituno’s full account is harrowing,” said Michele Delgado of the ACLU of North Carolina. “What he was subjected to is not law enforcement — it’s abuse.”
DHS disputed his account, stating on X that Aceituno “became erratic, refused lawful commands, and had to be removed from his vehicle.” Aceituno rejected that claim, saying, “I was talking to them, not restraining them.”
Aceituno is also part of a broader class-action lawsuit challenging warrantless immigration arrests in North Carolina. The case could play a significant role in shaping how immigration enforcement operations are carried out across the United States.