Mario Garcia-Estrada, a 26-year-old Mexican national from Hidalgo, has been sentenced to 63 months in federal prison and three years of supervised release after pleading guilty to two counts of assault on a federal officer. The sentence was handed down by United States District Judge Scott H. Rash.
The incident occurred on March 4, 2023, when Garcia-Estrada entered the United States illegally near Bisbee, Arizona. According to authorities, U.S. Border Patrol cameras detected his presence and an agent responded to the area. Upon locating Garcia-Estrada, the agent confirmed his illegal status and arrested him, confiscating his cell phone and identification.
As the agent attempted to place Garcia-Estrada in her patrol vehicle, he pushed her to the ground and struck her multiple times in the face and head before fleeing on foot. The agent sustained a fractured nose and other injuries as a result of the attack. A camera operator tracked Garcia-Estrada’s movements and directed other agents to his location for arrest.
The FBI Phoenix Division’s Sierra Vista office led the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney Sarah B. Houston prosecuted the case.
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For additional information about the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Arizona, visit http://www.justice.gov/usao/az/. Updates are also available via Twitter at @USAO_AZ.
