Dominican national arrested for assaulting ICE agents in Puerto Rico

SAN JUAN, Puerto Rico — ICE arrested Dominican national and illegal alien Bean Gomez-Cepeda July 2, after a U.S. Magistrate Judge issued a warrant against him for assaulting federal agents. He was charged with resisting, opposing or impeding federal agents with a dangerous weapon and hitting a government vehicle with his own vehicle.

The charges stem from June 30, when an ICE team stopped the vehicle Gomez-Cepeda was driving. In a failed attempt to avoid being arrested, he drove his vehicle into one of ICE’s Homeland Security Investigations vehicles. Officials arrested him and five other occupants of his vehicle, each of whom was also unlawfully present in the United States.

U.S. Customs and Border Protection encountered and processed him for expedited removal in El Paso, Texas, in 2023.

Gomez-Cepeda faces up to a year in jail, up to five years of probation, and a fine up to $100,000 for count one; he faces 10 years in prison and a fine of up to $250,000 for the second count.

ICE officials face an 830% increase in assaults over this time last year.

“Now more than ever, we need to protect the lives of the brave men and women of ICE and our partner agencies while they are doing their job to keep our nation safe,” said HSI San Juan Special Agent in Charge Rebecca Gonzalez-Ramos. “Our agency and the Department of Justice are taking these crimes very seriously as we stand by our agents to ensure their safety. Those who interfere with the execution of our job or dare to assault our agents will be prosecuted with the fullest extent of the law.”

Assistant U.S. Attorney and Deputy Chief of the Violent Crimes Division Jeanette M. Collazo-Ortiz and Assistant U.S. Attorney of the Violent Crimes Division Cesar E. Rivera Díaz are prosecuting the case.

If you see a law enforcement official in danger or want to report illegal activity, call 787-729-6969 or send an email to IntelHSISanJuan@hsi.dhs.gov. Learn more about HSI San Juan’s mission to increase public safety in Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands on Instagram, Facebook and X.

An indictment is merely an allegation, and all defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.

Source: U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE.gov)