Armando Carrillo-Diaz, a 45-year-old illegal alien from Rioverde, San Luis Potosí, Mexico, has been sentenced in Atlanta for assaulting a federal officer, arson, and illegally reentering the United States. The sentence follows his conviction on January 29, 2025, after pleading guilty to the charges.
U.S. Attorney Theodore S. Hertzberg commented on the case stating, "When illegal aliens resort to extreme and dangerous measures to avoid removal, they not only violate our immigration laws but also put law enforcement officers and the public at risk." He emphasized the commitment of his office to hold accountable those who attack law enforcement officers and endanger the community.
Steven N. Schrank of Homeland Security Investigations in Georgia and Alabama remarked that the conviction sends a strong message against evading justice through reckless actions. He credited the collaboration between various law enforcement agencies for capturing Carrillo-Diaz.
Carrillo-Diaz was apprehended after a series of events that began on April 26, 2023. Deportation officers with U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement's Enforcement and Removal Operations attempted to arrest him at his apartment complex parking lot. During his escape attempt in a pickup truck, he nearly struck one of the officers.
Subsequently, when officers returned to his residence, Carrillo-Diaz set his apartment on fire in an attempt to evade capture. This led to an evacuation by the Gwinnett County Fire Department as the fire spread through the building. During another confrontation with officers attempting to apprehend him, Carrillo-Diaz inflicted injuries upon himself but received immediate medical aid.
A federal grand jury in Georgia charged Carrillo-Diaz with Assaulting a Federal Officer, Arson, and Illegally Reentering the United States on June 26, 2024. On June 11, 2025, U.S. District Judge Mark H. Cohen sentenced him to five years in prison followed by one year of supervised release.
The investigation involved multiple agencies including ERO, Homeland Security Investigations, Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF), and Gwinnett County Fire Department. Assistant United States Attorney Dash A. Cooper prosecuted the case.
This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), which aims to reduce violent crime and gun violence through strategic law enforcement efforts and community partnerships.
For further information regarding this case or related inquiries contact U.S. Attorney’s Public Affairs Office via email at USAGAN.PressEmails@usdoj.gov or phone at (404) 581-6280.
