VENTURA, CA — The violent detention of Leonardo Espartaco Martinez has reignited a fierce debate over federal overreach and hospital compliance in Ventura County.
On the morning of March 10, 2026, Martinez was acting as a legal observer for the group VC Defensa when his minivan was swarmed by a fleet of unmarked federal vehicles on Buyers Street.
Footage from the scene captures a harrowing sequence where unmarked SUVs repeatedly rammed Martinez’s vehicle as he attempted to reverse away.
The escalation peaked when a masked agent emerged from a vehicle with an assault rifle raised, prompting bystanders to flee in terror.
Agents eventually shattered the van's window and dragged Martinez to the pavement, despite his apparent lack of resistance.
The controversy followed Martinez to Los Robles Regional Medical Center, where he was treated for injuries to his joints and back.
His legal team, Thomas Harvey and Reem Yassin, described a "lawless" environment inside the hospital where they were physically barred from speaking privately with their client.
Attorney Yassin reported being assaulted by a federal contractor while attempting to enter the room.
The lawyers argued that the hospital became complicit in a constitutional violation by allowing unidentified, masked men in plainclothes to keep a U.S. citizen handcuffed to a bed without a warrant or formal charges.
Martinez was eventually released only after an identified ICE agent arrived to authorize his discharge.
This incident marks the third time in a year that Martinez has been subjected to vehicle rammings by federal agents.
A previous encounter in October 2025 saw an ICE Jeep T-bone his vehicle in Oxnard, an act initially blamed on Martinez until dashcam footage proved the agents were the aggressors.
Community advocates view these repeated violent encounters as a deliberate intimidation tactic aimed at stopping the documentation of immigration enforcement.
While the Simi Valley Police arrived to document the "accident" portion of the crash, they took no enforcement action, leaving the legal fallout to be settled in what will likely be a significant civil rights battle against the Department of Homeland Security and the medical facility.