Cellphone video shows agents smashing car windows
before shots fired; DHS says truck struck officers.
San Bernardino, CA — August 17, 2025. A routine
morning drive home ended in chaos for a San Bernardino family after federal
agents opened fire on their truck. The Department of Homeland Security says
Customs and Border Protection (CBP) officers shot in self-defense after being
struck by the vehicle — but the family insists the agents never identified
themselves.
The confrontation unfolded Saturday morning near
Acacia Avenue and Baseline Street, where the family’s truck was returning home
from work.
According to the Department of Homeland Security,
CBP agents attempted a vehicle stop as part of a “targeted enforcement
operation.”
In cellphone video obtained by NBC Los Angeles,
unmarked vehicles can be seen surrounding the family’s truck. Voices from
inside the truck can be heard demanding identification from masked men outside.
The video shows agents breaking through the
vehicle’s windows as the family remained inside. One slow-motion replay
captures an agent’s arm reaching into the truck through shattered glass.
Seconds later, the driver accelerated away. The
footage records the sound of screeching tires, followed by three loud pops.
DHS later confirmed the sounds were gunshots. A
spokesperson said officers were forced to fire because the truck had “run down”
two agents during the escape attempt.
“In the course of the incident the suspect drove
his car at the officers and struck two CBP officers with his vehicle, forcing
one officer to discharge his firearm in self-defense,” DHS said in a statement.
The family disputes that claim, insisting the
agents never identified themselves and presented no judicial warrants before
opening fire.
“They were just masked men breaking our windows,” a
relative told local reporters. “We thought we were being attacked.”
The cellphone video has fueled questions about how
the operation was conducted, particularly why the agents were in unmarked
vehicles and whether they followed proper identification protocols.
DHS declined to say whether agents had warrants for
the stop, citing an ongoing investigation.
Civil rights advocates note that urban enforcement
operations by federal agencies have increasingly come under scrutiny for
transparency and use of force.
“This incident shows the urgent need for body
cameras, independent oversight, and clear identification procedures during
federal enforcement,” said one Los Angeles-based rights attorney.
The family has not confirmed whether they plan to
file a complaint or lawsuit, but community groups in San Bernardino have
already called for an investigation.
Meanwhile, DHS said the two agents allegedly struck
by the truck suffered minor injuries. No family members were reported injured
during the gunfire.
As the case unfolds, the sharp contrast between
official and civilian accounts is likely to heighten public debate over the
limits of federal enforcement in U.S. neighborhoods.