ROWAN COUNTY, N.C. — A traffic stop involving U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents created confusion for two brothers on Monday, lasting between five and 8 minutes and resulting in no injuries or charges.
Edwin Godinez and Yair Napoles, both U.S. citizens, were detained by ICE agents who mistakenly believed they were targeting a suspect associated with their vehicle.
The confrontation occurred in a general area of Rowan County as ICE agents stopped the brothers’ car, thinking it belonged to an individual they were searching for.
During the encounter, the brothers attempted to record the incident, leading to conflicting instructions from the agents.
Godinez described the situation, stating, “Neither one of us felt safe and a lot confused because they came in and didn’t really tell us much at all.”
His brother, Napoles, mentioned that he asked for permission to record, and the agent initially agreed to it, saying, “You can film all you want, but just keep your hands where I can see them and don’t move around too much.”
Shortly after, another agent contradicted this, demanding that they turn off their video while they were being detained.
The interaction escalated when the agents repeatedly told the brothers to keep their hands visible.
At one point, an agent attempted to take their phones. Godinez expressed concerns about racial profiling, asserting, “do you guys think you were profiled? I do, very discriminated against.”
ICE released a statement regarding the incident, indicating that the officers briefly questioned the brothers, who refused to comply regarding keeping their hands visible.
Once it was determined that no suspect was present and they were U.S. citizens, they were allowed to leave the scene. The agency did not report any injuries resulting from the stop.
The brothers believed that their decision to keep recording may have contributed to their safety.
Godinez remarked, “I figured either way he had his mind already set on what his intentions were, and to be honest, I’m glad I didn’t turn off my phone.”
It was noted that the brothers were not handcuffed or charged, although their phones were briefly taken during the encounter before being returned upon their release.
ICE confirmed that once the agency established that the target was not in the vehicle and the brothers were U.S. citizens, they were permitted to leave. No further legal actions will be taken against the brothers following the incident.
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