An officer from U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) was gravely injured in Houston on Monday while attempting to detain a Salvadoran national accused of violent offenses, officials reported.
The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) revealed that the officer was attacked during the arrest by Leonel Perez Rodriguez, who had previously been deported twice. Rodriguez struck the officer with a metal coffee cup.
The attack left the ICE officer with significant injuries, including severe burns and a deep cut on his face that required 13 stitches to mend.
The incident occurred as ICE Enforcement and Removal Operations (ERO) officers were apprehending the 33-year-old Rodriguez after his latest illegal reentry into the United States.
Consequently, Rodriguez is now facing federal charges for illegal reentry and for assaulting a federal officer.
Authorities said Rodriguez has since been referred for federal prosecution for illegal reentry and assaulting a federal officer.
U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) officer was allegedly injured by Walter Leonel Perez Rodriguez. (Department of Homeland Security)
Per the release, Rodriguez’s criminal record includes a conviction for sexual assault of a child under 17, multiple DUIs and repeated illegal entries into the U.S.
He was deported in 2013 and again in 2020 after serving prison time for his offenses.
“This young officer’s life has forever been altered as a result of the continued hyper-politicization of routine law enforcement activities and spread of misinformation by the media, NGOs, and other groups opposed to immigration enforcement,” said Bret Bradford, ICE’s Houston Field Office Director.
ICE moves forward with its operations nationwide amid what DHS officials have called “the Democrats’ longest government shutdown in American history.” (Christopher Dilts/Bloomberg via Getty Images)
“By focusing on our officers and spreading false propaganda about how we accomplish our mission, they are emboldening dangerous illegal aliens like this child predator to physically resist arrest. This insanity has to stop before anyone else gets hurt.”
The assault comes as ICE moves forward with its operations nationwide amid what DHS officials have called “the Democrats’ longest government shutdown in American history.”
Assistant Secretary Tricia McLaughlin praised ICE personnel Thursday for maintaining operations under challenging conditions.
“The shutdown has not stopped ICE from protecting American communities,” she said in a statement.
“Seventy percent of ICE arrests are of illegal aliens charged or convicted of crimes in the United States. Our officers remain committed to keeping the nation safe, regardless of political obstacles.”
