Authorities in Newark have charged a New Jersey man for allegedly impersonating an Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agent to commit robberies. This announcement was made by police on Wednesday.
Julio Garcia Barrera, 41, faces multiple charges including two counts of robbery and two counts of impersonating a public servant. He was taken into custody on Monday, according to a statement released by Newark police.
The first incident reportedly occurred in the early hours of January 22. At around 3:30 a.m., Garcia Barrera approached an individual on the street using a dark-colored SUV. After exiting the vehicle, he flashed a light and falsely claimed to be an ICE agent, directing the victim’s attention to a badge on his chest, investigators revealed.
Under this guise, Garcia Barrera allegedly frisked the victim against his vehicle and stole $500 from their wallet before driving off, law enforcement officials reported.
Just two days later, Garcia Barrera is accused of executing a similar scheme. He allegedly stopped beside another pedestrian, again using a flashlight to display an “ICE” patch on his jacket. This time, he reportedly stole $300 in cash and a debit card from the victim, which was subsequently used at gas stations in nearby East Orange, according to police.
Authorities tracked down Garcia Barrera to a parked vehicle on Monday, where they arrested him in connection with these incidents.
Since President Trump began his second term and launched ICE raids in cities across the country, several people have impersonated ICE agents to commit crimes. The practice became widespread enough that in October, the FBI warned of it and asked real ICE agents to start identifying themselves.
However, the agents and others working alongside them continued to cover their faces and rarely identify themselves, as seen in recent operations in Minneapolis and St. Paul. The agents who fatally shot U.S. citizen Alex Pretti on Saturday have not been identified.
