US Attorney, Border Patrol and FBI announce charges against illegal immigrants for assaulting Border Patrol agents

EL PASO, TX - In a joint announcement on Wednesday, U.S. Attorney Alexander Uballez, El Paso Border Patrol Chief Agent Scott Good, and FBI Special Agent in Charge Raul Bujanda revealed that federal prosecutors have pressed charges against multiple assailants on allegations they assaulted U.S. Border Patrol agents over the past year.

According to a press release from the Department of Justice, six foreign nationals were charged in total for crimes dating from September to August 2023.  The DOJ said in a statement, "These cases highlight the risks faced by federal officers and the Department of Justice’s commitment to their safety and security. The FBI and U.S. Border Patrol continue to work together to address such incidents."
 

PRESS RELEASE: Federal prosecutors have filed charges against several individuals for assaulting U.S. Border Patrol agents in separate incidents along the southern border, highlighting an ongoing concern for officer safety.

🔗 https://t.co/ObD1rJOgqA pic.twitter.com/V4qSq3kwkg

— U.S. Attorney NM (@USAO_NM) October 9, 2024

In the most recent assault, three CBP agents discovered a group of illegal immigrants crossing the border at Mount Cristo Rey near Sunland Park, NM. Among the group agents encountered Ricardo Prieto-Simental, 25, a Mexican national. When they approached him near Santa Teresa. 

The DOJ wrote, "When agents attempted to detain Prieto-Simental, who was suspected of being in the country illegally, Prieto-Simental fled from agents and then attempted to break a cell phone on a rock, and then threw the phone as a Border Patrol Agent’s head.  The Border Patrol agent then attempted to place handcuffs on Prieto-Simental, who then began punching, kicking, and biting the Border Patrol agent. Prieto-Simental bit the agent on the left forearm, breaking the skin and resulting in a bite mark and bruising."

In another incident on Sep 26th, a surveillance camera operator for the CBP notified agents of a suspected illegal immigrant climbing the border wall at 4:20 a.m. Enrique Rodriguez Salazar, 26. Rodriguez Salazar reportedly threw a fistful of dirt at the agent's face injuring his eyes and requiring hospitalization. 

In May, an illegal immigrant from El Salvador, Erika Jasmin Lobato Melendez, was spotted traveling with minors along the border wall with one other adult when an agent ordered her to step into a vehicle. Lobato Melendez allegedly told the agent, "We are not coming with you." The agent then attempted to convince Lobato Melendez to enter the vehicle with the children to shelter them from the extreme heat. When the agent attempted to take the group into custody, the woman allegedly bit the agent on the arm hard enough to bruise through the agent's uniform jacket.

According to Border Report, Lobato Melendez pleaded guilty to assaulting a federal officer and could be sentenced to as much as eight years in prison. Another illegal immigrant from El Salvador and two Mexican nationals also pled guilty to assaulting CBP agents.