A Salvadoran national was handed a three-year federal prison sentence for assaulting a Border Patrol agent during a traffic stop in November 2024. Oscar Adilio Sanchez-Rivera, 21, entered a guilty plea on March 4, 2025, to the assault charges, as reported by U.S. Attorney Nicholas J. Ganjei's office. U.S. District Judge Drew B. Tipton set down the sentence, which also flags Sanchez-Rivera for removal proceedings upon completion of his term.
According to a statement from the U.S. Customs and Border Protection, the incident unfolded in Rio Grande City after Sanchez-Rivera disclosed his immigration status to law enforcement. When a Border Patrol agent went to place Sanchez-Rivera in a vehicle, the defendant hit the agent in the face and grabbed his finger, inflicting an injury so severe it demanded surgery. Despite fleeing on foot, Sanchez-Rivera was apprehended shortly after by the authorities.
"Our Border Patrol agents risk their lives every day to secure our nation's borders," said Chief Patrol Agent Gloria I. Chavez of the Rio Grande Valley Sector, as reported by the CBP. "Any assault on our agents is an assault on the safety and security of our communities," emphasized Chief Chavez. "This sentence demonstrates that violence against law enforcement will be met with the full force of the law."
