Narciso Barranco, a landscaper, was recorded by multiple witnesses to have been repeatedly struck with a baton by masked federal agents in Santa Ana. The incident happened a little more than a week after he was involved in another violent confrontation with the agents — wherein he was seen beaten into submission.
The entire ordeal unfolded at about 2:30 p.m. on Sunday at the intersection of Warner Avenue and Main Street. The agents claim that Barranco had assaulted them with a weed trimmer prior to the incident.
Footage depicting the scene at the alleged immigration enforcement operation shows one man lying on the ground in the middle of the road as two officers hovered over him. Just nearby, another set of agents are seen violently forcing another man to the floor as he is beaten with their baton.
Witnesses try to intervene as the more people arrive, some driving by and honking their horns. Another witness began to walk up to the agents to throw questions and insults at them as the other two men were taken into custody. The last few seconds of the video depicted both men being led away in cuffs.
Local journalists are awaiting a response from the Department of Homeland Security as there have been several reports of federal enforcement operations in the Santa Ana area.
A GoFundMe campaign has been set up to help with legal and other expenses. Barranco is set to return to court on July 8, 2025.
