Sean P. Costello U.S. Attorney | U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Alabama
A Honduran national, Jose Romero-Pineda, 46, has been charged with assaulting a federal law enforcement officer during an immigration operation in Baldwin County. The charge was made through a criminal complaint for felony assault.
Court documents reveal that the incident occurred during a multi-agency immigration operation in Foley, Alabama. Romero-Pineda allegedly attempted to flee when approached by a federal officer for suspected immigration offenses. He reportedly grappled with the officer and struck him, resulting in a lacerated lip. FBI Special Agents helped detain Romero-Pineda after he resisted arrest.
The investigation suggests that Romero-Pineda is unauthorized to be in the United States. "Assaulting officers who are performing their duties to enforce the law carries justifiably serious penalties," stated United States Attorney Sean P. Costello. "The Department of Justice will zealously prosecute to the fullest any physical violence against the men and women who enforce our laws."
Romero-Pineda is set to appear before United States Magistrate Judge P. Bradley Murray at 2:00 tomorrow. If convicted, he faces up to twenty years in federal prison for assaulting a federal officer causing bodily injury.
The announcement was made by U.S. Attorney Sean P. Costello of the Southern District of Alabama, and the Federal Bureau of Investigation is handling the case investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney Gaillard Ladd will prosecute on behalf of the United States.
It is important to note that a criminal complaint is merely an allegation, and all defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.
