A Marathon construction and engineering business on April 21 filed a formal complaint with federal authorities against a U.S. Customs and Border Protection agent, who allegedly put his gun to the head of an immigrant worker who is living and working in the United States legally.
Agent Bruno Cabral’s reputation for conducting harsh immigration enforcement in Key West in March prompted an online change.org petition demanding that he be removed from the job and arrested. The petition has garnered 2,647 verified signatures.
Then, on April 21, the office manager of Design Center in Marathon, Yadira Blanco, signed her name to a formal complaint of “alleged misconduct, armed assault and civil rights violations.”
“This letter serves as both a formal misconduct complaint and a mandatory notice for the preservation of evidence,” states the complaint that was filed with the Department of Homeland Security and its Office of the Inspector General.
“INCIDENT SUMMARY — according to victim & witnesses —
“On April 21, 2026, at approximately 9:51 a.m. Agent Bruno Cabral drove to a private job site where two of our employees were working. Despite being clearly informed by an employee that the location was private property and that trespassing was prohibited, Agent Cabral became visibly enraged. He breached the property’s fence line, and entered the private workspace without a warrant, probable cause or self-identification. Upon entering the property, Agent Cabral approached the workers. Without any provocation or threat, he drew his loaded service firearm on a compliant employee’s head with (the gun making) physical contact (with the employee), according to the employee and witness accounts. During this life-threatening display of force, Agent Cabral also verbally harassed the worker. This is a gross violation of the CBP Use of Force Policy, as no threat to the agent’s safety existed.
“HARASSMENT AND RACIAL PROFILING
“When the employee produced a valid driver’s license and proof of legal residency, Agent Cabral snatched the identification and threw it onto the ground. He then proceeded to check another employee on-site without probable cause. Both employees are legal residents of Hispanic origin and were targeted and profiled based on their skin color and accents.
“UNLAWFUL DETENTION OF WITNESSES
“A neighbor observing the interaction above remained in the street. Upon noticing the witness to the above encounter, Agent Cabral confronted the witness, explicitly stating he was ‘detained and not free to leave’ before even requesting (the witness’s) identification. This detention was retaliatory, lacked any legal basis and was a direct attempt to intimidate a citizen witnessing a matter of public concern. This additional witness and resident recorded the harassment interaction with their cell phone.
“PATTERN OF PREDATORY BEHAVIOR
“Agent Cabral has a documented history of escalating violence in Monroe County. He was previously removed from the city of Key West following a viral video involving the assault of a 19-year-old bicyclist and is currently the subject of a community petition for his continued harassment of residents.
“DEMAND FOR EVIDENCE PRESERVATION (NOTICE OF SPOLIATION)
“We formally demand the immediate preservation of all electronic and physical evidence related to this incident. Failure to preserve the following in anticipation of litigation will be viewed as a deliberate act of spoliation:
“• All Body-Worn Camera (BWC) footage and audio from Agent Cabral and any assisting agents.
“• All Dashboard Camera footage from the involved vehicle(s).
“• All Radio Transmissions and CAD (Computer Aided Dispatch) logs.
“• All GPS/AVL location data for Agent Cabral’s vehicle during this window.
“DEMAND FOR ACTION
“We demand an immediate criminal investigation by the Department of Justice and the CBP Office of Professional Responsibility. Given Agent Cabral’s documented history of volatility and today’s use of a firearm against a compliant resident, his continued presence in the field poses a life-threatening danger to the community. We request that he be immediately placed on administrative leave pending a full criminal review.
“Thank you,
“Yadira Blanco
“Office Manager
“6677 Overseas Highway
“Marathon, FL, 33050.”
Keys Weekly seeks comment
The Keys Weekly has contacted the U.S. Customs and Border Protection agency’s Marathon station, where Cabral is stationed, as well as the CBP’s media office in Washington, DC, for comment related to the complaint that was filed on April 21.
An automated reply email was received immediately, stating, “Thank you for contacting U.S. Customs and Border Protection, Media Relations.
Later, on Wednesday, April 22, Justin Long, deputy director of communications for CBP in Washington, DC, called the Keys Weekly and said he was working on getting the Keys Weekly a response.The agency responded via email, saying, “CBP takes seriously and thoroughly investigates alleged or potential misconduct, on or off duty. The overwhelming majority of employees perform their duties with honor and distinction, working tirelessly every day to keep our country safe.”
