Yesterday, a U.S. District Court jury delivered a guilty verdict against 40-year-old Roberto Carlos Munoz-Guatemala for the assault of a federal officer using a dangerous and deadly weapon, causing bodily injury. U.S. Attorney Daniel N. Rosen announced the conviction following a three-day trial overseen by U.S. District Judge Jeffrey M. Bryan. The incident occurred during an attempt to arrest Munoz-Guatemala, who has been illegally present in the United States and is also a convicted sex offender.
According to court proceedings, on June 17, 2025, when law enforcement officials tried to apprehend Munoz-Guatemala on an immigration order, he was uncooperative and repeatedly refused to follow their directions. In an effort to gain access to the vehicle after the defendant's non-compliance, an agent broke the back window to be able to open the car from the inside. Munoz-Guatemala promptly accelerated, entrapping the agent’s arm between the seat and car frame, then proceeded to drag the federal agent for over 100 yards, weaving in an attempt to dislodge him. The agent sustained significant injuries to his arm and hand as a result.
Details released indicate that before this incident, Munoz-Guatemala had a conviction in December 2022 for the repeated sexual abuse of a minor in Hennepin County. The jury found that "Munoz-Guatemala assaulted the agent with a deadly or dangerous weapon, and that in doing so Munoz-Guatemala caused the agent bodily injury," as reported by the justice.gov release.
Several agencies cooperated to comprehensively investigate the case, including the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Enforcement and Removal Operations, Homeland Security Investigations, and the Bloomington Police Department. The prosecution was led by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Raphael B. Coburn and Thomas Calhoun-Lopez. As Munoz-Guatemala awaits sentencing, this case has drawn attention to the intersecting challenges of law enforcement, immigration, and the court systems in handling criminal cases involving non-citizens with prior offenses.
