Why It Matters
A federal case in New Jersey accuses a Honduran national of attacking Immigration and Customs Enforcement officers with a hammer during a targeted operation. A conviction could bring a prison term of up to 20 years and a fine of as much as $250,000.
What Happened
Federal authorities say Reinieri De Jesus Licona Amador, 27, was unlawfully present in the United States when ICE officers conducted an operation in Gibbsboro, New Jersey. Officers checked the license plate of a truck registered to him and found immigration records indicating he lacked lawful status.
After officers activated their emergency lights, they stopped the truck. Authorities allege Licona Amador took a hammer from a tool container in the back seat and refused commands to stop moving.
Officers tried to remove him from the vehicle, but prosecutors allege he moved toward the passenger side and resisted being restrained. He allegedly climbed onto the passenger-side door while holding the hammer and repeatedly swung it at ICE officers.
Officers used oleoresin capsicum spray and wrestled him to the ground. Licona Amador was arrested without injury and charged with assaulting federal officers with a deadly or dangerous weapon.
He appeared Monday in Camden federal court before U.S. Magistrate Judge Elizabeth A. Pascal. The charge is an allegation, and a conviction has not been established.
By the Numbers
Oct. 4 — date of the confrontation
27 — Licona Amador’s age
20 years — maximum prison sentence if convicted
$250,000 — maximum fine if convicted
Zoom Out
The case involves Immigration and Customs Enforcement and the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of New Jersey. The charge places the alleged conduct within the federal criminal system because the targets were federal officers performing an immigration-enforcement operation.
U.S. Attorney Robert Frazer said, “Federal officers put themselves in harm’s way to enforce the law and protect the public.”
What’s Next
The federal case will proceed after Licona Amador’s initial appearance. Frazer said, “We will not allow violent attacks on federal officers to go unanswered and will hold those responsible accountable under the law.”