Brownsville Grand Jury Indicts 28-Year-Old in Assault on Federal Agents

BROWNSVILLE, Texas – A federal grand jury in Brownsville has indicted a 28-year-old Mexican national on two counts of assaulting federal agents with a vehicle while trying to avoid arrest.

Eduardo Perez-Rodriguez is charged with forcibly assaulting two federal agents using a vehicle as a deadly or dangerous weapon. He remains in custody while the case moves forward.

What the indictment says

Authorities stopped a Ford F-150 on October 2 after determining Perez-Rodriguez was in the country illegally, according to the indictment.

Law enforcement told him to get out of the truck, the charges say. He refused and sped away, striking two agents and running over one agent’s foot.

An indictment is an accusation. Perez-Rodriguez has not been convicted.

Penalties and prosecutors

If convicted, Perez-Rodriguez faces up to 20 years in federal prison. He also faces a maximum fine of $250,000 on each count.

Immigration and Customs Enforcement Homeland Security Investigations investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Angel Castro is prosecuting it.

Part of a national initiative

The Justice Department placed the case under Operation Take Back America. The department describes the program as a nationwide effort that draws on its full resources to combat illegal immigration, eliminate cartels and transnational criminal organizations, and target violent crime.

The source did not say whether either agent was hurt, or when Perez-Rodriguez is due in court.