Politics
WATCH: Stunning Video Shows ICE Agents Tackle Fleeing Illegal Immigrant In Courthouse
A dramatic moment at a New Hampshire courthouse was caught on camera, showing federal immigration agents taking down a fleeing illegal immigrant just steps away from the courtroom.
Newly released security footage shows 33-year-old Arnuel Marquez Colmenarez being tackled by Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) officers after attempting to flee during his arraignment. The Venezuelan national was set to appear on charges of drunk driving, driving without a license, and failure to provide information after a crash.
In the video, Colmenarez bolts down a courthouse hallway before ICE agents pursue and bring him to the ground. During the takedown, an elderly man nearby appears startled and stumbles as the chaotic scene unfolds around him. It’s unclear whether he sustained any injuries.
Colmenarez, who is reportedly in the U.S. illegally, was immediately placed into federal custody following the incident. ICE confirmed that he has since been transported to a detention facility in Texas, where he is now being held pending further immigration proceedings.
A woman who witnessed the incident described the scene as chaotic and unclear. “I was confused,” she told News9. “It seemed like something was happening.”
WATCH:
NEW: Security footage shows ICE agents tackling a Venezuelan man in a New Hampshire courthouse after he tried fleeing.
I hope the elderly man is ok.
33-year-old Arnuel Marquez Colmenarez was taken to the ground by federal agents.
Colmenarez had been charged with… pic.twitter.com/y6da67wZ4G
— Collin Rugg (@CollinRugg) April 15, 2025
She added that the men involved, who were dressed in plain clothes, were shouting at the individual on the ground. “The only thing we really heard was the men in plain clothing yelling at the man on the floor that he shouldn’t have run – ‘Why was he running?’ – and to stay right there,” the witness said.
An ICE spokesperson responded to a Reuters inquiry with a broad statement, saying the agency is “focusing all its law enforcement personnel on mitigating public safety threats and preserving the integrity of our immigration laws.”
According to the Boston Globe, Arnuel Marquez Colmenarez arrived at a courthouse in Nashua, New Hampshire, on February 20 to be arraigned on misdemeanor charges. Shortly after his arrival, two men identifying themselves as federal agents approached him. When Marquez Colmenarez attempted to run, they tackled him, the Globe reported.
New Hampshire Public Radio noted that the charges stemmed from an earlier arrest related to driving under the influence.
Hudson police officer Jered Neff, who was assigned to Nashua as a court liaison on the day of the incident, documented his involvement in the arrest of Arnuel Marquez Colmenarez in an official report. Neff stated he heard a disturbance near the elevators and outside an office before stepping in to assist.
In the report, Neff wrote that two federal agents, whose names were not provided, confirmed they were working with both ATF and ICE to apprehend individuals without legal status who “are responding to Nashua Circuit Court for arraignments or other hearings.”
