ONTARIO, CA - Two staffers at a Southern California surgery center were captured on video allegedly assaulting U.S Immigration officers and interfering with an ICE investigation.
The two staffers, identified as 38-year-old Jose de Jesus Ortega, of Highland, and 33-year-old Danielle Davila, of Corona, have been charged federally, according to NBC4. They have each been charged with assaulting a federal officer and conspiracy to prevent by force a federal officer from discharging his duties during an altercation that took place on July 8th.
Ortega was arrested Friday morning, July 25th, and was expected to be in court later that afternoon. Authorities are still searching for Davila. According to the affidavit filed in support of the federal complaint, two Immigration and Customs Enforcement officers were conducting immigration enforcement operations in Ontario when they were following a truck that turned into a surgery center parking lot.
Once in the parking lot, two of the three men in the truck ran away and a third, identified by authorities as a man from Honduras who was allegedly in the United States illegally, was "partially detained" near the surgery center entrance.
The man allegedly pulled away before falling to the ground with an ICE officer, the U.S. Attorney's Office said. It was during those moments that Ortega and Davila allegedly interfered with the arrest. Video showed the struggle in a hallway inside the building.
"Ortega and Davila, both dressed in medical scrubs, impeded and interfered with the arrest," the office said in a press release. "Davila by wedging herself in between the officer and the alien, pushing the officer, and shouting, 'Let him go!' and 'Get out!' Ortega by grabbing the officer's arm and then his vest."
If convicted, the defendants face up to eight years in federal prison for assault and six years in federal prison for conspiracy. "This story is another example of a false narrative echoed in the media in furtherance of an agenda to delegitimize federal agents," said United States Attorney Bill Essayli.
"The illegal alien arrested inside the surgery center was not a patient. He ran inside for cover and these defendants attempted to block his apprehension by assaulting our agents," he added. "It doesn't matter who you are or where you work, if you assault our agents or otherwise interfere with our operations, you will be arrested and charged with a federal crime."
Essalyi said that his office has filed more than 50 criminal federal complaints, which are at different stages in the legal process. Nearly 56,400 illegal migrants have been detained by ICE nationwide since President Donald Trump began his second term, according to NBC News, which is tracking immigration enforcement using ICE data both public and internal as well as data from the U.S. Customs and Border Protection agency.
The investigation remains ongoing and is being conducted by Homeland Security Investigations.
The two staffers, identified as 38-year-old Jose de Jesus Ortega, of Highland, and 33-year-old Danielle Davila, of Corona, have been charged federally, according to NBC4. They have each been charged with assaulting a federal officer and conspiracy to prevent by force a federal officer from discharging his duties during an altercation that took place on July 8th.
Ortega was arrested Friday morning, July 25th, and was expected to be in court later that afternoon. Authorities are still searching for Davila. According to the affidavit filed in support of the federal complaint, two Immigration and Customs Enforcement officers were conducting immigration enforcement operations in Ontario when they were following a truck that turned into a surgery center parking lot.
Once in the parking lot, two of the three men in the truck ran away and a third, identified by authorities as a man from Honduras who was allegedly in the United States illegally, was "partially detained" near the surgery center entrance.
The man allegedly pulled away before falling to the ground with an ICE officer, the U.S. Attorney's Office said. It was during those moments that Ortega and Davila allegedly interfered with the arrest. Video showed the struggle in a hallway inside the building.
"Ortega and Davila, both dressed in medical scrubs, impeded and interfered with the arrest," the office said in a press release. "Davila by wedging herself in between the officer and the alien, pushing the officer, and shouting, 'Let him go!' and 'Get out!' Ortega by grabbing the officer's arm and then his vest."
If convicted, the defendants face up to eight years in federal prison for assault and six years in federal prison for conspiracy. "This story is another example of a false narrative echoed in the media in furtherance of an agenda to delegitimize federal agents," said United States Attorney Bill Essayli.
"The illegal alien arrested inside the surgery center was not a patient. He ran inside for cover and these defendants attempted to block his apprehension by assaulting our agents," he added. "It doesn't matter who you are or where you work, if you assault our agents or otherwise interfere with our operations, you will be arrested and charged with a federal crime."
Essalyi said that his office has filed more than 50 criminal federal complaints, which are at different stages in the legal process. Nearly 56,400 illegal migrants have been detained by ICE nationwide since President Donald Trump began his second term, according to NBC News, which is tracking immigration enforcement using ICE data both public and internal as well as data from the U.S. Customs and Border Protection agency.
The investigation remains ongoing and is being conducted by Homeland Security Investigations.
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Comments
2025-07-29T18:44-0400 | Comment by: Brian
Here’s hoping they enjoy their time with the FBP maybe they can work as trusty’s in the medical section of their prisons. Of course and and all state licenses are revoked on conviction even for probation.
2025-07-30T12:33-0400 | Comment by: James
The use of deadly force should be used!