(LibertySociety.com) – U.S. Marines detained an Army veteran heading to a VA appointment in Los Angeles, setting off a firestorm of controversy over President Trump’s unprecedented domestic military deployment.
Key Takeaways
- Army veteran Marcos Leao was detained by U.S. Marines at the Wilshire Federal Building while simply trying to attend a VA appointment
- The detention marks the first civilian apprehension by active-duty troops deployed by President Trump to quell immigration protests
- A federal court has ruled Trump’s federalization of the National Guard unlawful, escalating tensions between federal and state authorities
- The incident raises serious concerns about the erosion of the Posse Comitatus Act, which restricts military involvement in civilian law enforcement
- Over 1,800 nationwide demonstrations were planned, coinciding with Trump’s military parade in Washington D.C.
Military Detains American Citizen on American Soil
In a troubling development that should concern every American who values constitutional rights, U.S. Marines detained Army veteran Marcos Leao outside Los Angeles’ Wilshire Federal Building on June 13, 2025. The 27-year-old naturalized U.S. citizen, who earned his citizenship through military service, was simply heading to a Veterans Affairs appointment when he inadvertently crossed caution tape while wearing headphones. Marines from the 2nd Battalion, 7th Marine Regiment restrained him with zip ties before transferring him to Department of Homeland Security custody.
The detention lasted approximately 10 minutes before Leao was released without charges, but the implications of this incident stretch far beyond this brief encounter. This marks the first civilian detention since President Donald Trump deployed active-duty troops to Los Angeles amid protests against his administration’s immigration enforcement raids. The very fact that American troops are detaining American citizens on American soil should send shivers down the spine of anyone who understands the founding principles of our republic.
Trump’s Military Deployment Against American Citizens
President Trump’s decision to deploy 700 Marines under Task Force 51 to Los Angeles comes as part of a broader military operation involving 4,000 National Guard troops. This unprecedented domestic deployment was ordered against California Governor Gavin Newsom’s explicit objections, ostensibly to control protests against immigration raids. The Wilshire Federal Building, where the detention occurred, is over 10 miles from downtown protest epicenters but happens to be near UCLA and a VA campus where many veterans receive services.
The deployment represents a dangerous expansion of federal power and military authority into domestic affairs. Marines cited authority to detain civilians temporarily under specific circumstances, according to U.S. Army North, but legal experts have raised serious concerns about the erosion of the Posse Comitatus Act, which has historically restricted military involvement in civilian law enforcement. This act has been a cornerstone of American civil liberties since 1878, protecting citizens from the specter of military rule.
Courts Push Back Against Presidential Overreach
In a significant rebuke to the administration, a federal court ruled Trump’s federalization of the National Guard unlawful on June 14, ordering their return to state control. This ruling came just one day after Leao’s detention, highlighting the rapidly evolving legal battle over the president’s authority to deploy military forces domestically. Governor Newsom’s ongoing lawsuit continues to challenge the Marines’ deployment, while constitutional scholars argue that these detentions test the very boundaries of presidential power.
The court’s decision represents a crucial check on executive power at a time when the administration appears increasingly willing to use military force against American citizens. Legal experts have pointed out that while the president has certain emergency powers, using active-duty military personnel to perform law enforcement functions within the United States crosses a dangerous line that separates a free republic from more authoritarian forms of government.
The Detained Veteran Speaks Out
Leao, who served as a combat engineer in Iraq before working as a personal trainer and actor in civilian life, described his treatment by the Marines as “very fair” but warned that the incident foreshadowed risks of militarized civilian interactions. “I served my country proudly, and I never imagined I would be detained by fellow service members on American soil while trying to get to a VA appointment,” Leao stated after his release.
“While I understand they were following orders, we need to seriously consider what it means when American troops are detaining American citizens who are simply going about their daily business. This isn’t what I fought for in Iraq,” he added.
Growing Protests and Escalating Tensions
The detention occurred against a backdrop of escalating nationwide protests. Over 1,800 demonstrations were planned for June 14, coinciding with Trump’s military parade in Washington, D.C., organized to celebrate the U.S. Army’s 250th anniversary. Critics have characterized the parade as a show of force meant to intimidate domestic opposition rather than a genuine celebration of military history. Meanwhile, Los Angeles officials maintained a 2.5-square-kilometer downtown curfew, citing its effectiveness in reducing unrest.
The juxtaposition of military parades in the nation’s capital while active-duty troops detain veterans in major cities presents a troubling image of America in 2025. The fundamental question facing the nation is whether we are witnessing the legitimate exercise of executive authority to maintain order or a dangerous slide toward the militarization of domestic affairs that the founders explicitly sought to prevent.
Constitutional Crisis Looms
This incident underscores the growing tensions between federal military authority and state governance, with profound implications for civil liberties and the scope of domestic troop deployments. The fact that a veteran who earned his citizenship through military service could be detained by fellow service members while attempting to access VA benefits adds a particularly bitter irony to an already concerning situation.
As protests continue and legal challenges mount, Americans must ask themselves what kind of country they want to live in. Do we accept the normalization of military forces detaining civilians on American streets? Or do we reaffirm the principles that have guided our republic for nearly 250 years—that civilian authority remains supreme and that the military’s role is to defend the nation from external threats, not to police its own citizens?
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