Jose Emilio Ba-Ruiz, a 51-year-old Mexican citizen, was arrested and appeared in federal court after being charged with assaulting an Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) Deportation Officer. The announcement was made by U.S. Attorney Prim F. Escalona.
According to a complaint filed in U.S. District Court, the incident occurred on February 2, 2026, during surveillance conducted by ICE - Enforcement and Removal Operations (ERO) and Customs Border Protection (CBP) at a residence in Alabaster, Alabama. Officers observed a vehicle leaving the residence that was registered to a foreign national without lawful status in the United States. CBP initiated a traffic stop of the vehicle.
A Deportation Officer with ICE/ERO assisted with the stop and approached the front passenger window. The passenger identified himself as Ba-Ruiz and was asked to exit the vehicle. After he exited, the officer removed a knife from Ba-Ruiz’s pants pocket and informed him that he was under arrest. When the officer attempted to handcuff Ba-Ruiz, he resisted and struggled with her before pushing her hands away, causing her to fall to the ground and hit her head.
Ba-Ruiz then fled into nearby woods on foot and used a stranger’s phone to call for someone to pick him up. Shortly afterward, deputies from the United States Marshals Service saw a man get into a Honda Accord near where the traffic stop had taken place. Officers stopped the car and found Ba-Ruiz lying in its back seat. He was taken into ICE custody and transported to their Birmingham office.
The deportation officer involved in the incident was taken to hospital for treatment of injuries sustained during the struggle.
"This case is being investigated by the Department of Homeland Security, Immigration and Customs Enforcement," according to officials. "Assistant United States Attorney John G. Camp is prosecuting the case."
"An indictment or criminal complaint is merely an allegation. A defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty in a court of law," stated authorities.
