A Mexican national has been charged with using his vehicle to assault a federal officer while attempting to flee from arrest. The incident occurred in early November outside a National City apartment complex, the U.S. Attorney's Office for the Southern District of California reported.
Roberto Carlos Galeana-Guatemala, the defendant, is facing charges of Assault with a Deadly Weapon, inflicting bodily injury, as well as re-entering the United States illegally after previously being removed. He was last deported on February 6, 2024, following a conviction for an immigration-related offense. In a detention hearing before U.S. Magistrate Judge Brian J. White, Galeana-Guatemala stipulated to remaining detained without bond, agents were attempting to arrest him with the announcement "Police!" and emergency lights activated.
According to the complaint, last Wednesday at around 4:25 AM, Homeland Security Task Force agents had positioned their vehicles to execute an arrest warrant for Galeana-Guatemala. As they attempted to arrest him, Galeana-Guatemala began to drive in reverse to escape, subsequently stopping and then suddenly driving toward the agents, hitting one. The injured agent was hospitalized and is suffering from contusions, a possible sternum fracture, and mobility issues.
The charges are part of a wider initiative led by the Homeland Security Task Force to combat criminal organizations and prioritize public safety. Formed under Executive Order 14159, the task force emphasizes eradicating crimes like child trafficking and prosecuting violent criminal aliens. Galeana-Guatemala's case, prosecuted by Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Mark Lauricella, illuminates these efforts. Later in the day, when law enforcement found the defendant, having dodged apprehension again, but was eventually caught.
The maximum penalties for the charges include twenty years in prison and a $250,000 fine for the assault on a federal officer, and an additional two years in jail, along with a $250,000 fine, for being an illegally re-entered deported alien. The agencies investigating this case include various branches of U.S. law enforcement, affirming the collaborative nature of the Homeland Security Task Force's mission. Despite the gravity of the accusations, the defendant is presumed innocent until proven guilty in a court of law.
