U.S. citizen's truck window smashed by ICE agents, detained and released bleeding, files $1.25M lawsuit
Feb 27, 2026·Location: Charlotte, NC
Country of origin: Honduras

Willy Wender Aceituno, a naturalized U.S. citizen of Honduran descent who has lived in Charlotte, North Carolina for over 25 years, was arrested by ICE and DHS agents in November 2025 without a warrant. During the encounter, agents smashed his truck window with a baton and forcibly removed him from the vehicle despite him showing them his REAL ID confirming his citizenship. When Aceituno began filming the agents on his phone, they threw him onto the broken glass, handcuffed him, and transported him approximately two miles away before releasing him bleeding on the side of the road. The incident triggered childhood trauma from witnessing his father's arrest and disappearance by the Honduran military. In February 2026, Aceituno filed a $1.25 million lawsuit against federal immigration authorities alleging violations of constitutional amendments and claims of assault, battery, false imprisonment, and negligent supervision. Aceituno is the lead plaintiff in a federal class-action lawsuit with the ACLU alleging that ICE and CBP agents made warrantless arrests without probable cause across North Carolina.
Timeline
Sources
- After raids, U.S. citizens and immigrants seek millions for shootings, injuries, trauma
Los Angeles Times·May 26, 2026·archived copy
- theassemblync.com
- Aceituno Damages Claim - ACLU of North Carolina
- Aceituno v. USDHS - ACLU of North Carolina
- eu.courierpostonline.com
- Five NC men sue DHS over warrantless arrests
- NC teen, an American citizen, fighting Trump administration over arrest in Cary immigration raid
WRAL·Jul 29, 2026·archived copy
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