Leah B. Foley United States Attorney for the District of Massachusetts | Department of Justice
A Dominican national has pleaded guilty to resisting arrest by federal officers during an immigration-related incident in Boston. Eddy Rafael Matos-Lara, 35, admitted on November 13, 2025, to one count of forcibly assaulting, resisting, opposing, impeding, intimidating, or interfering with federal officers while they were performing their official duties. United States District Judge Leo T. Sorokin has set sentencing for December 15, 2025. Matos-Lara will be subject to deportation after completing any imposed sentence. He was indicted by a federal grand jury in September 2025.
Matos-Lara entered the United States unlawfully on January 5, 2024, at Nogales, Arizona. After being identified and fingerprinted by border officials, he was released into the community.
On June 15, 2025, local authorities arrested Matos-Lara in Boston and charged him with two counts of assault and battery with a dangerous weapon. The following day, immigration authorities went to Roxbury District Court during his arraignment to take him into custody.
At the courthouse, two federal law enforcement officers approached Matos-Lara and informed him that he was under arrest for being unlawfully present in the country. According to officials: "Matos-Lara resisted arrest, assaulted both federal officers and attempted to flee. After several minutes of resistance, Matos-Lara was placed in custody. Both officers received medical attention for injuries sustained during the arrest."
The charge carries a maximum sentence of eight years in prison, three years of supervised release and a fine of up to $250,000. Sentencing decisions are made by a federal district court judge based on U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and relevant statutes.
United States Attorney Leah B. Foley; Michael J. Krol, Special Agent in Charge of Homeland Security Investigations in New England; and Patricia H. Hyde, Acting Field Office Director of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Enforcement and Removal Operations in Boston announced the plea agreement. Assistant U.S. Attorney David G. Tobin from the Major Crimes Unit is prosecuting the case.
