Mass. city shocked after federal agents pull over work van, arrest two

Federal agents, some in masks, with multiple unmarked vehicles, stopped a commercial van in a Winthrop neighborhood Friday morning and took at least one man into custody.

The arrest happened around 7:30 a.m. Friday, near the intersection of Buchanan Street and Pleasant Street.

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Local resident Scout Grifoni was disturbed by what she witnessed.

Grifoni stated, “He presented his identification and mentioned having a spouse and children.” The sight of the face masks also disturbed her; she felt uncomfortable witnessing police officers, meant to protect and serve, concealing their features. This caused her anxiety and increased her heartbeat.

Videos show and witnesses told NewsCenter the agents appeared to be with the Drug Enforcement Administration and Homeland Security.

The owner of the van said agents took two of his employees into custody. He said one has a legal permit to work and a drivers license. The other has been going through the asylum process. He also said the agents had a photo of an alleged criminal they were looking for, but it did not match anyone at the scene.

Some Winthrop residents support the Immigration and Customs Enforcement's actions to remove immigrants living in the country illegally, while others say those living peacefully should not be targeted.

One resident of Winthrop stated, 'Cease targeting individuals and focus instead on overhauling immigration policies.'

One resident added, 'They've built entire neighborhoods, and now they're tearing them down,'

The reason for the men being detained remains uncertain, yet this event has made some people uneasy.

"It's intense, I just hope he gets the due process he deserves and gets to go in front of a judge," Grifoni said.

The owner of the van mentioned that prior to these events, officials had visited his residence. He stated that when they arrived, he presented his driver’s license; however, it was only after showing his U.S. passport that the officials seemed satisfied.

NewsCenter 5 contacted ICE, but they haven't received a response yet.

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