(The Center Square) Attacks against U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement officers are now up by 500%, the Department of Homeland Security says, up from 431% earlier in the month.
As attacks increase, assailants continue to be arrested, including members of the terrorist organization Tren de Aragua, a Mexican national who dragged an ICE officer 50 yards by car, and a Salvadoran national charged with attempted murder of a U.S. attorney.
After Hondurans and protestors were arrested for allegedly attacking federal agents during a worksite enforcement action in Omaha, Nebraska, a TdA member and Venezuelan national was arrested for attempted murder of special agents in Bellevue, Nebraska.
On June 18, ICE Homeland Security Investigations-Omaha led an operation to arrest Venezuelan national and alleged TdA member Gabriel Hurtado-Cariaco, in Bellevue. As federal agents attempted to take him into custody, he “launched a brutal and premeditated assault on an ICE HSI special agent” involving throwing the ICE agent to the ground, slamming her head on the pavement, ripping off her body armor, and making “repeated and physical violent contact,” DHS said.
She suffered serious injuries to her head and arm and was transported to the University of Nebraska Medical Center for treatment. She has since been released and is recovering, DHS said. Hurtado-Cariaco also assaulted an FBI agent, DHS said. He fled the scene but was apprehended roughly an hour later, according to DHS. He was charged with attempted murder of a federal officer and assault of a federal officer with infliction of bodily injury.
He illegally entered the U.S. in 2023 and was removed by Border Patrol only to illegally reenter again in 2024, DHS said. This time, he was released into the country with a notice to appear. Now he faces felony charges that could result in years in prison if convicted.
In another case, Albany County Sheriff’s deputies arrested a Salvadoran national illegally in the country, Saul Morales-Garcia, on second degree attempted murder charges. He was arrested on Jun 17 after he allegedly lunged at the U.S. Attorney for the Northern District of New York with a knife, screaming aggressively in Spanish, according to the complaint.
He was charged with attempted murder in the second degree, menacing with a weapon, and criminal possession of a weapon. ICE lodged a detainer request with the sheriff’s office.
Morales-Garcia has an extensive criminal record in Georgia, Pennsylvania, Virginia and New York for charges and convictions including felony grand larceny, misdemeanor petit larceny, theft, DWI, disorderly conduct, among other charges. He was previously deported in 2010 and illegally entered the U.S. as a gotaway, those who intentionally illegally enter between ports of entry to evade capture.
In another case, Mexican national Roberto Carlos Munoz-Guatemala was arrested after he dragged an ICE officer 50 yards with his car in Bloomington, Minnesota, trying to evade arrest, DHS said.
After being pulled over during a traffic stop, he refused to comply with ICE orders to exit his vehicle. Instead, he attempted to flee by putting his car in drive while the ICE officer was still holding his arm inside the vehicle and dragged the officer roughly 50 yards, DHS said.
The officer was hospitalized and expected to make a full recovery.
Munoz-Guatemala, a convicted child sex offender, has a criminal history spanning 15 years, including arrests for domestic assault and multiple driving offenses. He also illegally entered the U.S. as a gotaway, DHS said. ICE first lodged a detainer request on him in 2013 and for the last 12 years he was living illegally in the U.S. and wasn’t deported.
In another case, a Mexican national illegally living in Los Angeles was arrested for spitting on an ICE officer. His extensive criminal history includes a robbery conviction, arrests for murder and assault, among other charges. He was previously deported and illegally reentered.
“This defendant found out the hard way: When you spit, we hit – with a felony charge,” U.S. Attorney Bill Essayli said. “Law enforcement officers risk their lives and safety to uphold the law. To treat them with the disrespect, like this defendant did, mocks our great nation and such behavior will be punished accordingly.”
These are a few of hundreds of charges being brought by U.S. attorneys nationwide for border related crimes, The Center Square has reported.
