A federal grand jury has indicted Adrian Andrew Martinez, 20, of Pico Rivera, on a charge of conspiracy to impede a federal officer. The charge stems from an incident that occurred in June in the parking lot of a shopping center in Pico Rivera.
According to court documents and the indictment, on June 17, federal agents were arresting an individual suspected of being an illegal alien residing in the United States. Martinez, who was employed at a nearby Walmart, allegedly exited his vehicle and confronted United States Border Patrol agents during the arrest.
A group of individuals also stopped their vehicles near the agents and partially blocked lanes in the parking lot as officers attempted to leave with the arrestee. The crowd honked their horns and shouted at the agents while surrounding them both by car and on foot. Martinez is accused of positioning his vehicle to block the agents' vehicle and moving a large trash can in front of it to prevent their departure.
“Today, a federal grand jury returned an indictment against this defendant for conspiracy to impede federal agents,” said Acting United States Attorney Bill Essayli. “He now faces up to six years in prison for his conduct. Make no mistake: There are serious, life-altering consequences for impeding law enforcement.”
Martinez’s arraignment is set for Thursday at the United States District Court in downtown Los Angeles. If convicted, he faces up to six years in federal prison.
The investigation is being conducted by Homeland Security Investigations. Assistant United States Attorney Alexander P. Robbins from the Criminal Appeals Section will prosecute the case.
An indictment contains allegations. All defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in court.
