A 37-year-old man, Carl Bennett, has been arrested in Raleigh, North Carolina, for allegedly impersonating an Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) officer and sexually assaulting a woman at a local motel. The incident occurred at the Motel 6 on Appliance Court on Sunday. Bennett is accused of committing multiple sex offenses during the encounter.
According to arrest warrants, Bennett approached the victim while pretending to be an ICE agent, threatening to deport her unless she complied with his demands. He allegedly showed the victim a business card with a badge to further convince her of his false identity.
This case has raised concerns about the exploitation of fear among vulnerable individuals, particularly immigrants. Nikki Baena, from Siembra NC, a grassroots organization dedicated to defending immigrant rights, expressed that the current political climate could provide opportunities for such impersonations. Baena emphasized that people are often fearful of ICE, which some perpetrators prey on to manipulate or intimidate victims.
While the victim’s race and immigration status have not been released by Raleigh police, Baena remarked that it’s unfortunately not surprising for someone to take advantage of the fear surrounding immigration enforcement. She pointed out that some ICE agents have been known to use inappropriate tactics to extract information, which could make such allegations more credible.
Carl Bennett faces several charges related to sexual offenses, and the case has raised awareness about the dangers of impersonation and abuse of authority. Investigations into the crime continue as authorities address the broader issue of exploitation in the context of immigration enforcement.
