A member of the Miccosukee Tribe in Miami-Dade County is facing federal charges after a violent altercation escalated into gunfire, according to the U.S. Department of Justice. Sutanga Rex Cypress, 42, appeared in federal court in Fort Lauderdale this past Monday for charges that include assault with intent to commit murder and assault with a dangerous weapon.
The dispute reached a critical point last Friday when Cypress allegedly drew a firearm and shot the victim in the abdomen during an argument outside his home on the reservation, located in the Everglades off the Tamiami Trail. The victim was airlifted to a Miami-Dade trauma center and is now listed as "stable," the Miccosukee Police Department said in a statement posted to X. Details about what the two were arguing over have not been made public, but authorities confirmed to Local 10 that part of the altercation was caught on a cellphone video.
If convicted of the charges, Cypress could be looking at up to 20 years in federal prison, as stated in the complaint affidavit. The U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Florida, Markenzy Lapointe, along with Special Agent in Charge Jeffrey B. Veltri of FBI, Miami Field Office, and Miccosukee Police Department's Chief Roland Pandolfi announced the arrest. The FBI Safe Trails Task Force and the Miccosukee Police Department are the joint investigators in the case.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Latoya Brown is on top of the prosecution. "A complaint contains mere allegations, and all defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty in a court of law," was emphasized in the United States Attorney's Office news release statement. Cypress made his initial court appearance on April 29, following the incident that took place on April 26. Related court documents can be found on the website of the District Court for the Southern District of Florida or at their PACER service under case number 24-mj-6204.
