DEL RIO, Texas – A Honduran man is facing federal prosecution for assaulting a U.S. Border Patrol agent, following an incident at an immigration checkpoint, Oct. 7.
“Acts of violence against our agents will not be tolerated,” said Del Rio Sector Chief Patrol Agent Raul L. Ortiz. “This incident is an example of criminals who have a blatant disregard for the law as well as the safety of agents and the general public.”
Around midnight, Carrizo Springs Station Border Patrol agents, assigned to checkpoint duties, encountered a Dodge Ram 2500. Agents referred the vehicle for a more extensive inspection, during which agents determined the two occupants were citizens of Honduras. As agents attempted to extract the subjects from the vehicle, the driver accelerated, injuring an agent. The driver and passenger fled the checkpoint in the vehicle and were apprehended near Carrizo Springs after both subjects bailed out. The injured agent was treated and released at a local hospital.
The driver, a 28-year-old Honduran national, had been previously arrested in Laredo for entering the United States illegally in July 2016.
The passenger, a 17-year-old Honduran national, had been previously arrested in Brownsville for entering the United States illegally in March 2019.
The driver faces a charge of 18 USC § 111 – assault on a federal officer, which carries a maximum sentence of 20 years in prison. The passenger was processed as per Customs and Border Protection guidelines.