Marines Zip-Tie Vet as Trump Blurs Military Lines
The image is jarring — a uniformed U.S. Marine, kneeling on a quiet Los Angeles street, zip-tying the hands of a man who once wore a similar service uniform.
The detained man wasn't a threat. He wasn't a protester. He was a 27-year-old Army veteran named Marcos Leao, a naturalized citizen of Angolan and Portuguese descent, trying to make it to his Veterans Affairs appointment.
But on June 13, he crossed a yellow tape barrier outside the Wilshire Federal Building and was abruptly detained by active-duty troops, in a moment that's left legal scholars, civil rights groups, and everyday Americans stunned.
A Rare, Chilling First
This isn't just another viral moment from the protest-swept streets of Los Angeles. Leao's zip-tie detention marks the first time in decades that active-duty troops have physically detained a civilian in the United States, a country where the military is supposed to stay far from law enforcement roles.
He was held for over two hours before being handed off to the Department of Homeland Security and later released without charges, as reported by the Associated Press.
The military confirmed the action only after Reuters provided photographic evidence.
While Leao himself later said the Marines "treated me very fairly," according to Reuters, even offering reassurance about the "stressful situation," the optics of Marines subduing a U.S. citizen — a veteran, no less — has triggered a firestorm of legal and moral questions.
Trump's Troop Surge: 700 Marines, 4,000 National Guard, and a Battle Over Authority
Leao's detention didn't happen in a vacuum. It's part of a much larger and much more controversial federal show of force. President Donald Trump ordered 700 Marines and more than 4,000 National Guard troops into Los Angeles earlier this month amid growing protests against aggressive immigration raids.
The deployment was made over the fierce objections of California Governor Gavin Newsom and other state officials, who argue that the president overstepped his constitutional authority.
They're now challenging the action in court — a legal battle that has already seen a federal judge issue a temporary restraining order blocking the military deployment, only for an appellate court to pause that order pending review.
At the center of the storm is the Wilshire Federal Building, a 17-story structure that houses agencies like the FBI, the State Department, and the Department of Veterans Affairs — the latter being where Leao had his appointment that morning.
Tensions on the Ground: A City on Edge
Los Angeles has been rocked by over a week of protests sparked by a wave of immigration enforcement actions across the city. Despite mostly peaceful demonstrations, authorities say a small percentage of participants have engaged in assaults, looting, and property damage. A strict curfew now covers parts of the downtown area.
Marines and National Guard troops are stationed at federal sites to protect property and personnel. According to military officials, troops may temporarily detain an individual in specific circumstances but must then transfer them to civilian law enforcement — a line that critics say is already being blurred.
Marcos Leao: A Man Caught in the Middle
Leao, for his part, seemed more confused than angry. "I didn't know it was going to be this intense," he told Associated Press reporters. He says he simply crossed a taped-off path to avoid walking around the building — a shortcut that turned into a national headline. He respectfully acknowledged, "They're just doing their job," according to the Guardian.
Is This the Beginning of a Bigger Shift?
The use of active-duty troops for domestic law enforcement duties, even if just in a support role, is extraordinarily rare. It's largely constrained by the Posse Comitatus Act, which prohibits the federal military from performing police functions. That's why Leao's detention feels like a turning point.
"I believe that this is an inevitable precursor of things yet to come when you put troops with guns right next to civilians who are doing whatever they do," said one former military judge to the Associated Press.
Many see it as a red flag, a moment that forces Americans to ask how much power should the federal government have to intervene in civilian affairs, especially when that intervention comes at the hands of soldiers.
References: US Marines make first detention in LA as more protests expected | Trump's LA Marines Zip-Tie Veteran in First Ever Detention | Marines detain civilian in Los Angeles, in first such case | Marines temporarily detain man while guarding LA federal building | US marines detain civilian in first known instance since Trump deployed troops to LA
