Fact Check: Video Confirms CBP Agent Smashed Car Window with Rifle During Charlotte Arrest

A video circulating on social media authentically shows a U.S. Customs and Border Protection agent using a rifle to smash a car window during an arrest in Charlotte, North Carolina, as part of a controversial immigration operation in November 2025.

The footage, recorded by local resident Shea Watts, captures agents in camouflage uniforms confronting two women in a vehicle. One agent can be seen using his weapon to dent the car window before officers pull both women from the car and place them in handcuffs. The video clearly shows an agent wearing a shoulder patch identifying him as a member of BORSTAR, the Border Patrol Search, Trauma, and Rescue unit headquartered in El Paso, Texas.

The incident occurred during “Operation Charlotte’s Web,” a Department of Homeland Security initiative that began on November 15. According to DHS statements, the operation targeted “criminals without legal status” who allegedly “flocked” to North Carolina because “they knew sanctuary politicians would protect them.” DHS reported arresting more than 130 people during the operation’s first weekend.

According to reports from local news outlets WCNC and WFMY News 2, the detained women were held for several hours at an FBI facility before being released with citations. The husband of one woman told reporters that his wife is a U.S. citizen, though this could not be independently verified.

In the video, one of the women states that agents accused her of “driving erratically because they were chasing me down the road.” She explains that officers followed her through Charlotte’s streets for approximately five minutes before activating their lights, pulling her over, and breaking her car windows.

Watts reportedly told local media that agents accused the driver of honking her horn to warn others of border patrol presence in the area. According to Watts, an agent cited federal legislation regarding “Assaulting, resisting, or impeding certain officers or employees” as justification for the detention.

The Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police Department has distanced itself from the operation. In a statement, CMPD said, “The CMPD does not participate in ICE or CBP operations, nor are we involved in the planning or execution of any federal immigration enforcement activities.” Watts claimed that one of the detained women had called CMPD while being followed, and was allegedly advised “not to open up,” though this detail has not been confirmed.

This was not the only contentious arrest during Operation Charlotte’s Web. Two days earlier, on November 15, another video showed agents breaking the window of a truck owned by Charlotte resident Willy Aceituno before dragging him to the ground. DHS claimed on social media that Aceituno was “erratic, refused lawful commands, and had to be removed from his vehicle,” and that he “admitted he was trying to distract officers so others could evade the law.” Aceituno, however, denied this account in an interview with the Charlotte Observer.

The operation has sparked debate over federal immigration enforcement tactics in urban areas far from the U.S. border. Immigration rights advocates have questioned the methods employed by agents, while DHS has defended the operation as necessary to apprehend individuals they claim pose a threat to public safety.

As of this writing, CBP has not responded to requests for comment regarding the specific circumstances of the women’s detention or the use of force depicted in the video. A Freedom of Information Act request has been submitted for records of the reported call to CMPD.