Casino Customer Detained by U.S. Border Patrol

Sycuan Casino says this incident could have been avoided if he told the truth

 A trip to a local casino turned into a nightmare for an El Cajon man after he was arrested and detained by Border Patrol for nearly a week.

The 26-year-old man who identified himself only as Sebastian described what happened during a trip to Sycuan Casino on February 4.

He says security at Sycuan began to question him for identification so he showed them his Matricula Consular, a valid form of government I.D. issued by the Mexican Consulate.

โ€œThey told me they were going to arrest me and call the Border Patrol," Sebastian told NBCSanDiego. "That is when I tried to run when they take me down and handcuff me."

He said he was arrested and detained by Border Patrol for 6 days, despite having valid I.D. and presenting it to an officer.

โ€œIt was crazy I was scared to never see my family again,โ€ Sebastian said.

Sycuan spokesperson Adam Day told NBCSanDiego the casino accepts the Matricula card as a form of identification.

"We don't question," Day said. "It's not our policy to call immigration at all.โ€

Still, he says this incident was an exception.

โ€œHe presented at least four if not five identifications," Day said. "Four of them were in someone elseโ€™s name so that entire incident was extremely suspicious."

Lilia Velasquez, an attorney representing Sebastian, said suspicious or not she believes Sycuan was wrong.

โ€œIโ€™m sure that it's not the only time and it won't be the last time that someone tries to get in a casino with a fake I.D. Don't let them in. But do not threaten them with calling the immigration service,โ€ said Velasquez.

Border Patrol officials told NBCSanDiego the Matricula Consular card may be a valid I.D. to some institutions, including the Sycuan casino.

But to them, it is not a document which allows someone to stay in the U.S. legally, the reason why border officials say Sebastian was detained.
 

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