U.S. Marines in Los Angeles temporarily detained a U.S. Army veteran on Friday, the first known detention of a civilian by active-duty troops deployed by President Donald Trump in response to massive protests against his immigration policies and enforcement.
The incident, which was observed by journalists from Reuters and later confirmed by the U.S. military, took place at the Wilshire Federal Building, which the Marines had been tasked with protecting in an extremely rare use of American troops in a domestic situation.
The man detained, Marcos Leao, 27, who identified himself as an Army veteran, said he was on his way to an office of the Department of Veterans Affairs when he crossed a yellow tape boundary and was stopped by the Marines.
Reuters journalists observed the troops apprehending Leao, restraining his hands behind his back with zip ties, and handing him over to the Department of Homeland Security. He was later released.
A spokesperson for Northern Command said that the active-duty troops have the authority to "temporarily detain" individuals under "specific circumstances."
"Any temporary detention ends immediately when the individual(s) can be safely transferred to the custody of appropriate civilian law enforcement personnel," a spokesperson said, via Reuters.
U.S. troops are not allowed to arrest citizens and can only detain them until police arrive. Military personnel are prohibited by federal law from participating in civilian law enforcement.
Leao, who became a U.S. citizen through his Army service, told Reuters he was treated "very fairly," and said of the Marines, "They're just doing their job."