An illegal immigrant from Honduras is facing federal charges after allegedly swinging a hammer at federal agents during a traffic stop in New Jersey.
The suspect, Reinieri De Jesus Licona Amador, 27, reportedly pulled out a hammer, climbed out of his truck, and attempted to attack two immigration officers with it after they pulled him over.
The incident occurred Oct. 4 during a targeted operation in Gibbsboro, New Jersey.
Licona Amador, 27, of Honduras, was charged with assaulting federal officers, according to the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of New Jersey.
He was taken into federal custody and made his first court appearance Monday, Oct. 19 before U.S. Magistrate Judge Elizabeth A. Pascal in Camden federal court, the U.S. Attorney’s office said in a news release.
If convicted, he faces up to 20 years in prison and a $250,000 fine for assaulting federal officers with a deadly or dangerous weapon.
“Federal officers put themselves in harm’s way to enforce the law and protect the public,” U.S. Attorney Robert Frazer said. “When an individual responds to a traffic stop by attacking an officer with a hammer, that conducts threatens not only the officer’s safety but the rule of law itself.”
According to the criminal complaint, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement officers were in Gibbsboro, New Jersey, and ran a license plate check on a black Chevrolet truck traveling in the area.
The vehicle came back as registered to Amador, and ICE officers ran a search of immigration records. They determined he was unlawfully in the United States.
ICE agents confirmed the truck driver’s appearance matched the photo in Amador’s immigration file and initiated a traffic stop.
Court documents indicate Amador initially pulled his truck over to the side of the road and came to a complete stop. But as officers approached the truck, they saw Amador reach into a tool container in the back seat and pick up a hammer.
Officers ordered Amador to stop moving, but he refused to comply. Agents then opened the driver’s side door and attempted to remove him from the truck.
According to the complaint, he pulled away from the officers and moved over to the passenger side of the truck while holding the hammer. The officers tried to restrain and detain Amador but he resisted.
Amador then climbed out of the passenger side of the truck while holding the hammer, ignoring officers’ repeated commands, the complaint states.
“Once out of the truck, Licona Amador proceeded to climb on top of the passenger door and began swinging his hammer at two ICE Officers,” the U.S. Attorney’s Office said. “Licona Amador swung his hammer multiple times at the officers.”
The events were captured on officers’ body-worn camera footage and prosecutors also released still photos from the body camera footage.
Officers used pepper spray to subdue Amador and wrestled him to the ground, finally arresting him without injury, Fox News reported.
According to the criminal complaint, an officer with Homeland Security Investigations interviewed the officers following the alleged attack. Victim 1 “saw [Victim 1’s] life flash before [Victim 1’s] eyes” and felt in fear of great bodily harm.
The second victim also stated that had “hammer actually made physical contact with either Victim 1 or Victim 2, Victim 2 thought that the hammer would have caused serious, and potentially fatal, injuries to Victim 1 or Victim 2.”
Following Amador’s arrest on Oct. 4, fingerprints and biometric data confirmed his identity.
At the time of the stop, Amador also had a Hispanic male in the front passenger seat. Officer confirmed he was a Honduran citizen who was in the country illegally and had been issued a final order of removal, the New York Post reported.
ICE officers did not detail when or where they illegally entered the United States.
Nationwide, federal law enforcement officers have experienced an alarming surge in attacks by activists and illegal immigrants resisting arrest. They’ve seen a 1,600% increase in assaults, a 3,300% increase in vehicular attacks, and an 8,000% increase in death threats, according to the U.S. Department of Homeland Security.
“Threats, violence and obstruction directed at federal law enforcement officers are unacceptable and jeopardize the safety of both our personnel and the public,” Homeland Security Investigations New Jersey Special Agent in Charge Michael S. McCarthy said. “Licona Amador will be held accountable under federal law for allegedly defying lawful commands from ICE officers and escalating the encounter by threatening violence.”
