WASHINGTON, D.C. — Today, Congresswoman Sydney Kamlager-Dove (CA-37) sent a letter to U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Secretary Kristi Noem, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) Director Todd Lyons, and Customs and Border Protection (CBP) Commissioner Rodney Scott, demanding answers regarding the wellbeing and whereabouts of her constituent, Vicente Ventura Aguilar, who was reportedly detained in Los Angeles on October 7th and has not been in contact with his family since then.
A person detained alongside Mr. Ventura Aguilar confirmed he was last seen on October 8th in San Diego County, where he experienced a medical emergency while being transported to Mexico. Concerned for his welfare, Mr. Aguilar's family reached out to Rep. Kamlager-Dove's office for assistance in locating him. The congresswoman's casework team has contacted ICE, CBP, the Los Angeles Police Department, hospitals, and the Los Angeles and San Diego County Medical Examiners, but none have any record of Mr. Ventura Aguilar. Additionally, they reached out to the Mexican consulate and are awaiting a response.
“No family should ever have to wonder whether their loved one has been lost—or worse—while in the custody of CBP or ICE,” said Rep. Kamlager-Dove. “Yet since October 7th, this has been the reality for the Ventura Aguilar family, who are desperately seeking information about the welfare and whereabouts of their loved one and my constituent, Vicente. They deserve answers, and yet immigration enforcement officials have done little to provide them to a family in crisis. We will not stop searching for Vicente or demanding accountability for this negligence until he is found.”
The full letter is linked here and below:
Dear Secretary Noem, Director Lyons, and Commissioner Scott,
I write to demand answers regarding the disappearance of my constituent, Mr. Vicente Ventura Aguilar, who was reportedly taken into custody during an immigration enforcement operation in the Los Angeles area on October 7–8, 2025.
Mr. Ventura Aguilar was reportedly detained by United States Customs and Border Protection (CBP) or United States Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) alongside other individuals. Those individuals have since resurfaced; one is now confirmed to be in detention at the Adelanto ICE Processing Center, and the others have been deported to Mexico, yet there has been no information from CBP or ICE on Mr. Ventura Aguilar’s whereabouts.
A person who was detained alongside Mr. Ventura Aguilar reported that he was last seen on October 8th in San Diego County, where he was injured after a fall while being transported to Mexico. According to this individual, he was taken out of the room where they were being held to receive medical care. After that, Mr. Ventura Aguilar was not seen by this individual again.
Mr. Ventura Aguilar’s lawyer, Ms. Laura Urias of ImmDef, received correspondence from the U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) confirming that seventy-three Mexican nationals were arrested in the Los Angeles area between October 7–8, 2025, but that none were identified as Mr. Ventura Aguilar. DHS did not, however, address the question of whether an individual matching his date of birth may have been detained under a different name. My office has a signed privacy release form from Mr. Ventura Aguilar’s brother, authorizing the release of information regarding this case. Given the length of time since Mr. Ventura Aguilar’s disappearance and the credible concern that he may have been misidentified, injured, or otherwise unaccounted for during the enforcement action, I urgently request that DHS and ICE conduct an immediate and comprehensive review and provide responses to the following questions by November 29, 2025:
1. What steps has DHS or ICE taken to determine whether an individual matching Mr. Vicente Ventura Aguilar’s identifiers—including variations in spelling, alias use (such as Vicente Aguilar or Vicente Ventura), or alternate date formats for his date of birth (04/06/1981 or 06/04/1981)— was detained, transferred, or removed during or after the October 7–8 enforcement operation in the Los Angeles area?
2. Has ICE or any DHS component identified an individual matching Mr. Ventura Aguilar’s date of birth but listed under a different name in agency custody records? If so, please provide the individual’s custody status, detention facility, and any associated A-number or case identifier.
3. Has ICE detained, transferred, released, or removed any individual matching Mr. Ventura Aguilar’s description or date of birth since October 7, 2025? Please specify the location, date, and outcome of any such action.
4. Has ICE documented any medical events, injuries, or hospital transports involving individuals taken into custody in the Los Angeles area during the period of October 7–8, 2025? If so, has the agency verified whether any such incident involved an individual matching Mr. Ventura Aguilar’s identifying information?
5. Were there any use-of-force or critical incidents associated with the enforcement actions conducted in Los Angeles on October 7–8, 2025? If so, please provide the number of incidents, their nature, and whether DHS or ICE’s Office of Professional Responsibility has opened an investigation.
6. If ICE has no record of Mr. Ventura Aguilar, has DHS or ICE coordinated with Customs and Border Protection or any other DHS component to conduct a cross-agency Missing Detainee or Record Check to ensure all possible aliases and identifiers are reviewed?
7. Has ICE identified any detainees taken into custody during this timeframe who have been unable to contact family members or counsel due to medical condition, transfer complications, or other administrative barriers? If so, what steps are taken to verify their welfare? 8. What protocols are currently in place for DHS or ICE to verify the safety and whereabouts of individuals reported missing after immigration enforcement operations, and who within DHS is responsible for leading that interagency coordination?
9. Who are the officers who participated in an immigration enforcement operation in the Los Angeles area on October 7–8, 2025? This case has caused severe distress to Mr. Ventura Aguilar’s family, who are desperate for confirmation of his well-being. I urge your agencies to treat this matter with the utmost urgency and provide a written response by November 29, 2025.
Thank you for your immediate attention to this serious matter.
Sincerely,
Sydney Kamlager-Dove
Member of Congress
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