A Mexican national was charged with assaulting a Texas law enforcement officer during an immigration arrest in Houston, according to the U.S. Attorney's Office for the Southern District of Texas. On October 1, officials allege that 36-year-old Javier Cornelio Cruz-Nava evaded an attempted traffic stop, fled his vehicle, and during the ensuing chase, threw an officer into a fence, causing the officer to sustain deep head wounds. The encounter left the officer injured and led to the eventual capture of Cruz-Nava, who now faces serious criminal charges.
As reported by the U.S. Attorney’s Office website, authorities were conducting an operation when Cruz-Nava allegedly chose to not immediately comply with law enforcement officers signaling him to stop. After a brief vehicular chase, Cruz-Nava exited his car and attempted to continue to quickly escape on foot. While being chased by an agent from the Texas Department of Public Safety, a physical altercation ensued, during which Cruz-Nava reportedly freed himself from his shirt and proceeded to throw the agent against a wrought iron fence.
The FBI, ICE-Homeland Security Investigations, and the Texas Department of Public Safety all collaborated on the investigation that led to the charges. Cruz-Nava, if convicted on the charges of assaulting, resisting, or impeding a person assisting a federal officer, could face up to a 20-year term in federal prison, alongside a fine that might reach $250,000.
Assistant U.S. Attorney John S. Ganz is named as the prosecutor for the case, which forms a piece of Operation Take Back America. This nationwide initiative aims to intensively address the issues of illegal immigration, cartel activities, and the associated violent crimes. The operation draws upon resources from the Department of Justice, including the Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces and Project Safe Neighborhood, and seeks to streamline their efforts towards its stated goals of public safety and law enforcement efficiency.
.jpg){kind=link}