Shocking Early Morning Raid: ICE Invades Cruise Stateroom Over a Name at 6:45 AM

A recent incident involving a Carnival Cruise Line passenger ended in a wrongful detention by ICE agents shortly after the ship docked in Miami on January 5, 2026. Jose Martinez, a U.S. Coast Guard veteran, was celebrating his birthday with wife Tamara Verhas and friends when the misunderstanding occurred.

As the ship returned to port, that morning, ICE agents mistakenly identified Martinez due to a name coincidence with another individual who had outstanding warrants. At around 6:45 a.m., agents burst into Martinez’s cabin, interrupting the couple’s rest.

Martinez recounted the chaotic scene: "The door burst open. Three men came in with flashlights shining them in our faces and giving us commands.” Handcuffed and confused, Martinez attempted to provide identification to explain the situation, but the agents disregarded his efforts. Despite his wife’s attempts to record the incident, her phone was taken and footage deleted.

Martinez spent approximately 90 minutes in a holding cell in PortMiami before being released. He learned that the confusion stemmed from having a common name among Hispanic individuals, which caused authorities to mistake him for someone else who was wanted for serious offenses. Following the ordeal, he noted a lack of apology from the authorities involved.

While details surrounding the incident remain sparse, it seems the issue arose during routine checks of the ship’s manifest, which lists all passengers onboard. Carnival Cruise Line released a statement acknowledging the involvement of U.S. Customs and Border Protection and noted that they complied with law enforcement requests during the matter.

It remains unclear whether the cruise line has reached out to Martinez and Verhas post-detention, but the incident has raised concerns regarding passenger rights and the potential for misunderstandings in similar situations.

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