A video posted on social media showed immigration agents yanking Colombian TikToker Tatiana Martinez from her vehicle during an arrest last week.
Martinez was detained on Friday in Los Angeles while sitting inside her Tesla. She was streaming on TikTok when federal agents approached her vehicle, according to Newsweek.
Footage shows three agents pull Martinez, whose real name is Leidy Tatiana Mafla-Martinez, out of the car and place her facedown on the ground as she screams. In another video, a person yells for someone to call 911 as Martinez lies motionless on the ground.
Tricia McLaughlin, assistant secretary for the Department of Homeland Security, said in a statement that Martinez was detained because of a prior conviction of driving under the influence in Los Angeles.
McLaughlin said Martinez came to the United States in 2022 and “was RELEASED by the Biden administration.”
“Under President Trump and @Sec_Noem, if you break the law, you will face the consequences,” Homeland Security said in a post on X.
The agency did not immediately respond to a request for comment on the social media videos.
During her arrest, Martinez complained about shortness of breath and was given medical treatment, McLaughlin said, and is being held at a facility in Calexico, California. It’s not clear if she has obtained an attorney.
Martinez gained followers on TikTok after posting videos documenting the ICE raids under President Donald Trump’s push for mass deportations, Newsweek reported. She also shared guidance on what people should do if Immigration and Customs Enforcement stop them.
McLaughlin said that as agents were detaining Martinez, another person “unlawfully towed a government police vehicle.”
“He mocked and videotaped ICE officers chasing after him. Secretary (Kristi) Noem has been clear: Anyone who seeks to impede law enforcement will be found and prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law,” McLaughlin said.
