A bare-chested illegal immigrant was busted by Immigration and Customs Enforcement after launching headfirst into a North Carolina duck pond and leading agents on a wild, caught-on-camera pursuit.
Christian Valladares-Sierra, a Honduran native, took off after officers confronted him outside the Mecklenburg County Courthouse in Charlotte Thursday afternoon, according to the Department of Homeland Security.
The chaotic chase ended in a nearby park, where Valladares-Sierra, who was shirtless, jumped into the waist-deep pond and was quickly surrounded by three agents, according to footage captured by WBTV.
A fourth officer, seen charging in from the park, tackled the wanted man in the murky water before he was slapped with cuffs and taken into custody, the video showed.
“Officers attempted to make the arrest outside the Mecklenburg County Courthouse, but after officers identified themselves Valladares-Sierra fled and jumped headfirst into a duck pond,” DHS Assistant Secretary Tricia McLaughlin told The Post.
“He screamed profanity at officers and refused to exit the pond. Officers had to get in the pond to safely apply handcuffs, place him under arrest and escort him out of the water.”
Wild scene outside the Mecklenburg County Courthouse – shirtless man chased into a duck pond and tackled by ICE officers. Officers told me they were arresting the man. We’re working to get more details. #CLTNews #Breaking #ICE @WBTV_News pic.twitter.com/mtOuiRtUse
— Jason Puckett (@JasonPWBTV) May 15, 2025
Valladares-Sierra, who was previously deported, had a pending court case where he is facing charges for resisting a public officer and driving intoxicated, according to DHS.
It wasn’t immediately clear when he re-entered the US or was initially charged.
McLaughlin noted that targeting illegals at local courthouses is a safe and “common sense” approach.
“It conserves valuable law enforcement resources because they already know where a target will be,” she said.
“It is also safer for our officers and the community. These illegal aliens have gone through security and been screened to not have any weapons. Secretary (Kristi) Noem is empowering law enforcement to use common sense to remove criminal illegal aliens from American communities.”
Valladares-Sierra was transported to ICE’s Charlotte office for processing.
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