The Chicago-based agent was already identified on social media and by Unraveled Press. Now, two Department of Homeland Security sources have confirmed his name to Migrant Insider.
Two sources inside the Department of Homeland Security confirmed the name of an Immigration and Customs Enforcement agent who pointed a gun at a U.S. citizen to Migrant Insider.
The masked ICE officer who stepped out of an unmarked SUV on Monday and pointed his service weapon at Carolina Molina — a U.S. citizen, seated behind the wheel of her own car, in a parking lot off Columbia Pike in Falls Church — is Martin Lagunas, according to two DHS sources who spoke to Migrant Insider on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to discuss the incident publicly.
“This is the same kind of behavior that led to the murder of two American citizens,” Senator Ruben Gallego (D-Ariz.) tweeted about the incident.” “Trump’s violent goon squad is out of control. We need to completely clean house and rebuild from the bottom,” he added.
DHS has not named Lagunas in any public statement. The agency’s official line after the encounter went viral described the officers as agents who feared for their safety during a “targeted immigration enforcement” operation. But Molina’s video shows her car is stationary as Lagunas points his weapon at her window and accuses her, on camera, of nearly running his team over — a lie ICE agents made after the killing of Renée Good in Minneapolis in January.
Confirming a name investigators wouldn’t
Lagunas, 40, was first publicly identified by Elgin-area ICE watchdog Ismael Cordová-Clough one week ago, and independently verified through voice and visual analysis — including a distinctive arm tattoo and a frayed “POLICE” patch worn across multiple eICEncounters — in reporting by Unraveled Press. Migrant Insider’s DHS sources corroborate that identification.
Unraveled’s reported that Lagunas is a Chicago native who led an Enforcement and Removal Operations team first documented making arrests outside Chicago’s immigration court at 55 E. Monroe Street in May 2025, and later during protests outside the ICE facility in Broadview, Illinois — the epicenter of last fall’s Operation Midway Blitz demonstrations.
That same team surfaced again in Minneapolis in January, four days after ICE agent Jonathan Ross fatally shot the 37-year-old Good — the case Molina herself invoked at a Wednesday press conference, saying, “I think my life was in danger at that point. It wasn’t until after I was like, this was a whole Renée Good situation again.”
Martin Lagunas’ Facebook profile picture.
The “weaponized vehicle” playbook
DHS’s account of the Virginia stop — that Molina “attempted to harm officers by weaponizing her vehicle” — repeats a pattern the agency has leaned on before, per Unraveled’s reporting: almost identical language was used to justify the fatal shootings of Silverio Villegas González in Franklin Park, Illinois, and Good in Minneapolis — claims that video and body-camera footage in both cases failed to support.
Molina saids the gun in her face made her start filmimg. “I think that’s why I took my cell phone out and started recording, because I’m like, ‘yo, this guy is really pointing a gun at my head.’ Like that’s insane,” she said.
DHS’s statement on the incident does not mention Lagunas by name: “The operation was targeting criminal illegal aliens, whose crimes included a hit and run and drug trafficking, and illegal aliens with final orders of removal. Fearing for their safety, ICE officers conducted a vehicle stop of the driver. Necessary background information of the driver was taken and she could face criminal prosecution as a result of her actions.”
The Fairfax County Commonwealth’s Attorney’s Office confirmed this week it is reviewing the footage. Rep. Don Beyer and Rep. Suhas Subramanyam have publicly demanded consequences for the agents involved.
Online Footprint
Four days before the Virginia stop, back in Minneapolis, Lagunas told a driver he’d blocked in with his own vehicle: “You’re not gonna like the outcome of this, sir. I guarantee you’re not going to like the outcome.” On the day Renée Good died, he’d posted about her death on his own Facebook page. The caption was one word: “FAFO.”
This is a developing story. If you have information about Lagunas or other ICE agents caught on video committing atrocities in our country, let us know at tips@migrantinsider.com or on Signal at pab.202.
A couple of weeks ago, I was contacted by an Amazon representative because they wanted to recruit me as one of their “Amazon influencers”. I’ve been thinking about it seriously since then, considering that it’s a lot of money and visibility, and as an independent underground artist, I’m never really sure what tomorrow will be made of. Well I just decided to decline, as the thought of taking an active part in promoting this company was making me physically ill. I am aware that I’m saying no to a big opportunity, but staying true to myself and what I stand for is more important to me. My books will remain out of Amazon, even if that means less sales. I hope you understand – I know how easy Amazon makes it and I’m not judging anyone for buying there. I’m guilty as well. Anyway, if you’re looking for my books, they’re still on www.serioustransvibes.com or on Etsy. And if you think my independence is valuable and worth a bunch of dimes or more, please consider subscribing to my Patreon account, that’s what keeps the ship afloat : www.patreon.com/assignedmale ❤
Some points I wish to make. First tRump couldn’t take not having his name seen on a building that was to honor the Kennedy family so he kept the tarps up. But why is this building and its prominence that attracts him? The way our society sees and has seen the Kennedy family has long been an issue and sore spot for tRump. In his mind his own family should be the US fake royalty not a war hero president and classy first lady. He raged against predient Kennedy’s son constantly angered that the press never covered his kids the same way. Well that is because while the Kennedy’s were doing good works for the public the tRump kids were ingaged in crimes and money laundering. tRump is fully consumed by his stature and standing with the public and how he is perceived because he is a poor man in a wealthy situation and he is a weak man pretending to be the model strong man. Remember he told Queen Elisabeth that his kids were equal to her kids because he was US royalty like she was British royalty. Hug
Attorneys for Beatty said in a statement that the new naming effort appears to defy a judge’s ruling this year that the center’s board does not have the authority to rename what was intended as a “living memorial” for an assassinated president.
The board voted to change the name of the building to “The John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts Restored and Renovated by President Donald J. Trump.”
Scaffolding and tarps cover the building name at the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts in Washington on June 30.Al Drago / The Washington Post via Getty Images file
The Trump-appointed Kennedy Center board voted Thursday to partially close the iconic arts center for up to two years during renovations and to re-add President Donald Trump’s name to the building’s facade, according to a person who attended the virtual board meeting and a second person familiar with the meeting.
The decision would close the Kennedy Center’s main building and keep a smaller addition, known as the Reach, open for some events in response to a May court order requiring the board to maintain the center as a memorial to President John F. Kennedy.
After an almost two-hour Zoom meeting, the board voted 20-3 to change the name of the building to “The John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts Restored and Renovated by President Donald J. Trump” and the physical location to “President Donald J. Trump Plaza.” Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick proposed the name change.
Trump, who appointed himself chairman of the board last year, joined the call for several minutes, according to the source who attended the meeting.
The three people voting against it are the ex officio members from Congress, Rep. Joyce Beatty, D-Ohio; Sen. Sheldon Whitehouse, D-R.I.; and Rep. Rick Larsen, D-Wash.
“This latest development is a transparent effort to circumvent the Court’s ruling, and flies in the face of the statutes that Congress passed,” Beatty, who was one of the plaintiffs in a lawsuit challenging the Kennedy Center’s renaming, said in a statement. “I will continue to fight for this treasured national monument.”
Attorneys for Beatty said in a statement that the new naming effort appears to defy a judge’s ruling this year that the center’s board does not have the authority to rename what was intended as a “living memorial” for an assassinated president.
“A federal judge already rejected the board’s unlawful attempt to rename the Kennedy Center, and told Donald Trump’s handpicked board that its last closure vote was ill-informed and preordained. Today’s vote is more of the same, and a show of blatant disrespect to the courts,” said the lawyers, Norm Eisen of Democracy Defenders Action and Nathaniel Zelinsky of Washington Litigation Group.
U.S. District Judge Christopher Cooper’s order in May, which temporarily blocked the Kennedy Center’s planned closure last month, also asked that the board provide a financial plan to justify the decision to close it. Keeping the smaller venue open would allow ticket sales for some events, including performances by the National Symphony Orchestra, which is the Kennedy Center’s chief tenant.
The orchestra has performed there since the early 1970s, when the center — conceived by Jaqueline Kennedy as a memorial to her slain husband — opened.
In recent years, under the baton of music director and principal conductor Giancarlo Noseda, it has been rising in stature — but its future is now uncertain because the Kennedy Center’s Concert Hall will not be available. A search for other venues in the area has been underway.
The Kennedy Center’s future has been in limbo for months as Trump moves to reshape the iconic art institution in his image, one of several major Washington renovation projects.
After Trump named himself the Kennedy Center’s chairman last year and filled its board with allies, the board voted unanimously in March to close the center for two years for renovations.
Cooper’s order temporarily blocked the construction work and ordered that Trump’s name be removed, which it was in June.
He also said the board could still ultimately close the center “should it come to this decision anew after independently balancing its multiple obligations to the Center in a prudent fashion.”
Cooper also found the board did not have the authority to rename the center or add a name to it without the approval of Congress, which initially named it.
“The Kennedy Center’s organic statute makes crystal clear that the Center is to be named for President Kennedy, and it cannot bear any other formal name or public memorial based on the Board’s unilateral say-so,” Cooper said in his May decision.
“May the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts be renamed absent Congressional authorization? The answer, plain from the face of the statute, is no. Nor can any other individual be memorialized on the front portico of the building. Congress gave the Kennedy Center its name, and only Congress can change it.”
The decision to close the center and add Trump’s name to the building has sparked outrage from the administration’s critics, as well as members of the Kennedy family.
Former Rep. Joseph Kennedy III, a grandnephew of the late president, said in a statement last year that the center “is a living memorial to a fallen president and named for President Kennedy by federal law. It can no sooner be renamed than can someone rename the Lincoln Memorial, no matter what anyone says.”
Kudos to @luciengreaves.bsky.social and everyone else who spent so much time on this case. Thanks for your service. This is huge. reason.com/2026/04/02/s…
Inbox: LGBTQ org @EqualityFlorida is condemning an attack text linking to a 2020 report about CD 24 candidate @ShevrinJones being turned away from a blood drive due to his sexuality.
Equality, which endorsed Jones, says it didn't pay for the text, which the text says it did. pic.twitter.com/6fd6bpPhYm
NEW: The DOJ asked SCOTUS to quickly allow the Trump administration to implement his anti-voting executive order after a federal judge issued a nationwide block on the measure.The push underscores the administration's urgency to impose sweeping mail voting restrictions for the midterms.
Since you’re too afraid to debate me, how about you “hold me accountable” on a football field instead. Tackle, no pads like we used to play when we were kids. I’d be happy to show you much I love football. https://t.co/6oQ6sunxZn
TOWN HALL CALLER: Hi Paxton, nice to meet you. I'm just wondering — why did you cheat on you wife?
KEN PAXTON: Um. I'm not going to talk about personal issues that relate to my family, just like I don't think you would want to discuss your marriage on a call with thousands of… pic.twitter.com/9en7qlSdVM
Exclusive: The Trump administration plans to spend at least $900 million on White House grounds construction, a significantly larger price tag than previously reported.Taxpayers would cover most of the cost, according to records reviewed by The Post.
Trump lies out his ass:Q: Why was it too dangerous for you to fly on Air Force One but not for the press?TRUMP: Well, I don't know, I think actually the plane I that I flew on was at greater riskQ: Why do you say that?TRUMP: Because that would be the plane they would be more likely to go for
Every parent wants to keep their children safe, and vaccines are among the most powerful tools for doing that, making deadly diseases preventable. @WHO is concerned that recent changes to US immunization policy are not aligned with decades of evidence that show when children… pic.twitter.com/vCfgJFrFGK
Trump Administration Kills a Flagship Annual Report on the ArcticThe top of the world is warming faster than any other region. For 20 years, the Arctic Report Card chronicled the extraordinary transformation.
Authoritarianism isn’t down the street or around the corner — it's here right now.
The For Our Republic Act lays out a clear roadmap of the actions Congress can take to fight back against Trump’s authoritarian takeover and save our republic!https://t.co/3QKQvPhRwa
🚨SEND PETE HOEKSTRA PACKING🚨The House of Commons petition calling for U.S. Ambassador Pete Hoekstra to be declared persona non grata has already reached 56,215 signatures.🔗 Petition e-7531: http://www.ourcommons.ca/petitions/en…🔗 sendpetepacking.ca❤️🍁🇨🇦TEAM CANADA FOREVER🇨🇦🍁❤️❤️🍁🇨🇦VIVE LE CANADA🇨🇦🍁❤️
Donald Trump and Mike Collins want to pay your tax dollars to violent thugs who ransacked the Capitol to undermine our elections and attacked police officers on January 6th. Georgians will vote accordingly. https://t.co/rnkRI1vU5s
I helped pass this law in 2020. It's purpose is to prevent drug traffickers, Russian & Chinese kleptocrats, and other international criminals from setting up anonymously owned companies to hide their money in the US. Trump's Treasury Dept. is doing this to help criminals. 1/ https://t.co/k7zRPDlwoH
"Beneficial ownership information" is just a record of who actually owns a company. That's all that was being reported here, so that we didn't have LLCs in Delaware laundering millions of dollars through the US and into offshore banks on behalf of totally anonymous people. 2/
Treasury deleting the beneficial ownership info it already gathered is utterly crazy. This database was not public — it was just for law enforcement to use in investigating crimes. It's like Trump ordering the deletion of the FBI's fingerprint database. 3/
Why is the Trump administration doing this? I don't know. But it's certainly good news for rich Russians who want to buy his condos, or Gulf royals buying his fake crypto. The true identities of people he's done business with, if registered with Treasury, will now be deleted. 4/
Congress passed a law — with strong Republican support BTW — saying Treasury had to collect and keep beneficial ownership info. The Trump administration cannot say "we're just not going to do it." 5/
Stacey Sloughfy is a travel writer who specializes in destinations, road trips, and travel planning. Her passion for exploring began with her first international trip to Japan, where she discovered a love for experiencing different cultures and seeing the world from new perspectives. Since then, she has traveled extensively throughout the United States and abroad, helping readers discover inspiring destinations and memorable travel experiences.
Prior to contributing to TheTravel, Stacey wrote content for GoAbroad and WeSaidGoTravel. When she is not travel writing, she can often be found tending her garden, blogging, or planning her next adventure.
This article was updated on August 7 at 12:48 PM EST with a statement sent to TheTravel from Southwest Airlines
A U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agent trying to board a Southwest Airlines flight in Dallas was reportedly stopped by a gate agent who demanded a judicial warrant before allowing the agent onto the aircraft. The July 25 incident could signal a growing pushback from airlines as immigration enforcement at U.S. airports increases.
Now, a report from The Wall Street Journal suggests Southwest employees are drawing a line when ICE agents attempt to access aircraft or passenger information without the documentation the airline requires.
Southwest Airlines Pushes Back Against ICE Enforcement At Dallas Love Field Airport
Southwest Airlines passengersCredit: Shutterstock
The incident happened at Dallas Love Field Airport on July 25 when an ICE agent attempted to board a Southwest flight headed from Dallas to Orlando to make an arrest, but a Southwest gate agent reportedly refused to allow the agent onto the aircraft without a judicial warrant signed by a judge.
Southwest employees also reportedly refused to provide ICE with passenger information or allow agents to view a computer screen displaying passenger information as travelers boarded the flight. The ICE agent reportedly had an administrative warrant, which was signed by an ICE supervisor rather than an independent judge.
Southwest did not comment specifically on the reported Dallas incident but provided TheTravel with a statement outlining how the airline interacts with law enforcement.
“Southwest is committed to providing a safe travel experience for all Customers and Employees. The airline adheres to applicable state and federal law when interacting with law enforcement agencies. Southwest has longstanding policies in place to ensure appropriate legal documentation is presented by law enforcement personnel before any information about Customers is shared,” the Southwest spokesperson told TheTravel.
The statement does not confirm whether the July 25 incident occurred or address what type of warrant the ICE agent presented. It does, however, reinforce Southwest’s position that law enforcement personnel must provide appropriate legal documentation before the airline shares customer information.
Southwest Airlines aircraft taking off from Love Field in Dallas, TexasCredit: David Pillow/Dreamstime
According to the WSJ, the Dallas confrontation may not have been an isolated event. An unnamed source said roughly a half-dozen similar incidents involving Southwest have occurred in recent weeks.
An administrative warrant and a judicial warrant are not the same thing. The former is issued within the immigration enforcement system, while a judicial warrant is signed by a judge.
The distinction could become increasingly important as airlines respond to more immigration enforcement activity at airports.
Several U.S. Airlines Decline Helping ICE With Airport Arrests
Southwest is not necessarily the only airline pushing back against ICE requests at airports. The Wall Street Journal also reported that an unnamed airline at a Southern airport recently declined to help ICE agents access a jet bridge so they could arrest a man traveling with his family. The airline reportedly refused to assist the agents. The man and his family ultimately did not board the flight, according to the report.
U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement AgentsCredit: U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, Wikimedia Commons
The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) later said ICE agents did not complete the Las Vegas airport arrest due to safety concerns. The department stated that officers “did not proceed with the arrest at the Las Vegas airport” because of “officer safety” concerns and instead arrested the passenger the following day after he departed from Los Angeles International Airport.
These encounters have raised questions about what airlines should do when federal immigration agents arrive at the gate or attempt to access an aircraft.
Airlines Seek Clearer Rules For ICE Arrests At Airports
The airline industry’s response suggests that Southwest’s experience is part of a broader concern over how ICE enforcement is being handled inside airports.
Airlines for America (A4A), a trade group representing major U.S. airlines, said its member companies have been communicating with ICE and TSA about procedures for immigration enforcement at airports.
A4A said its member companies “have had constructive discussions with ICE and TSA to ensure if law enforcement activity occurs at an airport, there are proper procedures and protocols in place to prioritize the safety and security of all involved.”
Airlines are not necessarily asking ICE to stop making arrests at airports. The bigger concern appears to be how those arrests are conducted and what access agents should have to airline-controlled areas and passenger information.
Issue
Why Airlines Are Concerned
Access to aircraft
Employees may need to determine whether agents have appropriate documentation.
Administrative warrants
Airlines may question whether these documents provide sufficient authority for certain actions
Passenger information
Carriers have policies governing when customer information can be released
Jet bridges and gates
Arrests in crowded areas can create difficult situations for employees and travelers
Safety
Airline workers have to consider the safety of passengers and crew during enforcement activity
A DHS spokesperson has defended the increase in airport enforcement. The spokesperson told NewsNation that the administration had reversed what it described as a previous policy allowing people who are in the country illegally to travel around the United States.
“DHS reversed the horrendous Biden-era policy that allowed aliens in our country illegally to jet around our country. Under President Trump, DHAS [DHS] will no longer tolerate this.”
The spokesperson added, “This administration is working diligently to ensure that aliens in our country illegally can no longer fly unless it is out of our country to self-deport.”
The statements highlight the competing concerns at the center of the issue. Federal officials say immigration laws must be enforced, while airlines are trying to determine how those enforcement actions should take place without creating additional safety and operational problems.
TSA agents at a U.S. airportCredit: via Shutterstock
For travelers, the Southwest incident does not mean ICE agents are being barred from U.S. airports or that airlines will refuse to cooperate with immigration authorities. Instead, it shows that airlines may challenge access to aircraft or passenger information when they believe the proper legal documentation has not been provided.
As airport enforcement continues to increase, the question of where and how these arrests take place will likely remain a point of discussion between airlines, federal agencies and the public.
