Honduran National Charged with Assaulting a Federal Law Enforcement Agent During Immigration Enforcement Operation

MOBILE, AL – A Honduran national has been arrested and charged with assaulting a federal law enforcement officer during an immigration enforcement operation yesterday in Baldwin County.

Jose Romero-Pineda, 46, a Honduran national, has been charged by criminal complaint with felony assault of a federal officer.

According to court documents, a multi-agency federal immigration operation was being conducted yesterday in Foley, Alabama. During the course of the operation, a federal law enforcement officer attempted to detain Jose Romero-Pineda for suspected immigration offenses. When the immigration enforcement operation began, Romero-Pineda and a woman attempted to flee the scene, and the federal law enforcement officer confronted them. As the officer approached Romero-Pineda and the woman, they began grappling with and shoving him. Romero-Pineda struck the officer with his fist, lacerating his lip. FBI Special Agents assisted the officer in detaining Romero-Pineda who continued to resist and disobey commands given to him. Romero-Pineda was detained without any additional injuries to himself or agents. The immigration investigation of Romero-Pineda has preliminarily revealed that he is a Honduran national and was not otherwise authorized to be in the United States.

“Assaulting officers who are performing their duties to enforce the law carries justifiably serious penalties,” said United States Attorney Sean P. Costello. “The Department of Justice will zealously prosecute to the fullest any physical violence against the men and women who enforce our laws.”

Romero-Pineda is scheduled to make his initial appearance before United States Magistrate Judge
P. Bradley Murray at 2:00 tomorrow.

Assault of a federal officer causing bodily injury is punishable by up to twenty years in federal prison.

U.S. Attorney Sean P. Costello of the Southern District of Alabama made the announcement. The Federal Bureau of Investigation is investigating the case.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Gaillard Ladd is prosecuting the case on behalf of the United States.

A criminal complaint is merely an allegation and all defendants are presumed innocent until proven
guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.