A Honduran national, Jose Romero-Pineda, 46, has been charged with felony assault of a federal law enforcement officer during an immigration enforcement operation in Baldwin County, Alabama. The incident occurred during a multi-agency federal immigration operation in Foley, Alabama.
Court documents reveal that as officers attempted to detain Romero-Pineda for suspected immigration offenses, he and a woman tried to flee. During the confrontation, Romero-Pineda allegedly struck an officer, resulting in a lacerated lip. FBI Special Agents assisted in detaining him despite his resistance. Preliminary investigations indicate that Romero-Pineda is not authorized to be in the United States.
U.S. Attorney Sean P. Costello stated, “Assaulting officers who are performing their duties to enforce the law carries justifiably serious penalties.” He emphasized that the Department of Justice will prosecute any violence against law enforcement personnel.
Romero-Pineda’s initial court appearance is scheduled before United States Magistrate Judge P. Bradley Murray at 2:00 tomorrow. If convicted of assault causing bodily injury to a federal officer, he faces up to twenty years in federal prison.
The Federal Bureau of Investigation is leading the investigation into this case with Assistant U.S. Attorney Gaillard Ladd prosecuting on behalf of the United States.
It should be noted that a criminal complaint is merely an allegation and all defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.
