BROWNSVILLE, Texas - A 35-year-old illegal alien from Honduras has been sentenced to federal prison for assaulting a U.S. Border Patrol (BP) agent, announced Acting U.S. Attorney Abe Martinez. A federal jury returned a guilty verdict Aug. 17, 2017, against Hernan Cortez-Mazariegos following a one-day trial and approximately two hours of deliberations.
Today, U.S. District Judge Andrew S. Hanen handed Cortez-Mazariegos an 18-month sentence. Not a U.S. citizen, Cortez-Mazariegos is expected to face deportation proceedings following his release from prison.
On Nov. 15, 2016, BP agents responded to illegal alien traffic south of the border fence near Azucena street in Brownsville. A BP agent attempted to apprehend Cortez-Mazariegos, but he fled. The agent followed and attempted to arrest him, at which time Cortez-Mazariegos struck him on the side of his face, sustaining minor injury. Cortez-Mazariegos was eventually subdued and apprehended with the assistance of another BP agent.
Cortez-Mazariegos will remain in custody pending transfer to a U.S. Bureau of Prisons facility to be determined in the near future.
The FBI and U.S. Customs and Border Protection conducted the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorneys David Coronado and Jody Young prosecuted the case.
Source: U.S. Department of Justice, Office of the United States Attorneys
