DETROIT – This week, a federal judge sentenced a Venezuelan illegal alien to 48 months in federal prison. The illegal alien pleaded guilty in May to assaulting a federal law enforcement officer and grabbing the officer’s firearm, announced United States Attorney Jerome F. Gorgon, Jr.Gorgon was joined in the announcement by Jared Murphey, Special Agent in Charge of Homeland Security Investigations Detroit and ICE Enforcement and Removal Operations Detroit acting Field Office Director Kevin Raycraft.The court sentenced Arnoldo Jose Marquez-Pulido, 33, an illegal alien from Venezuela who illegally entered the United States via the US-Mexico border in April 2024. Despite having no visa or other travel document that would allow him to lawfully enter the United States, the government in 2024 paroled Marquez-Pulido into the United States. According to court documents, law enforcement officers assigned to the Homeland Security Task Force (HSTF) were conducting surveillance of businesses in the Utica area after learning that illegal aliens were working as delivery drivers. While on surveillance, agents observed a car registered to Marquez-Pulido depart a parking lot of one of the businesses. Agents activated their vehicle emergency equipment and attempted a traffic stop. Marquez-Pulido briefly stopped before fleeing at a high rate of speed. To avoid a dangerous vehicle chase, agents deactivated their emergency equipment and continued to follow Marquez-Pulido at a safe distance. When Marquez-Pulido returned to the business location, he fled on foot and ignored a Task Force agent’s commands to stop, forcing the agent to tackle Marquez-Pulido as he fled into the business. Marquez-Pulido forcibly resisted arrest, assaulting the agent by striking him in the face with his elbow. Marquez-Pulido then reached for and removed the agent’s service firearm, a Glock Model 19 pistol, from the agent’s holster and briefly wielded it before losing control of the weapon. Additional Task Force officers and agents arrived on scene and recovered the firearm. Marquez-Pulido continued to forcibly resist and had to be restrained. Marquez-Pulido injured one agent’s elbow, knees, hands, and face. Another agent injured his knee. Both agents required hospital treatment.“This illegal alien sped away from federal agents and then created a potentially deadly fight when he grabbed an agent’s gun. Our federal agents put their lives on the line every day to protect Americans against dangerous illegal aliens like this man. He should never have been in our country,” said U.S. Attorney Gorgon. “Marquez-Pulido turned a lawful enforcement action into a violent confrontation when he assaulted a federal agent and grabbed for a gun,” said HSI Detroit Special Agent in Charge Jared Murphey. “That kind of brazen disregard for law enforcement and public safety will be met with consequences. HSI Detroit and our partners will continue to track down those who threaten our communities and put agents’ lives at risk.”This case was investigated by Homeland Security Investigations. This case is part of Operation Take Back America, a nationwide initiative that Marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations (TCOs), and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime.
Source: U.S. Department of Justice