A Belize national residing in Conroe has pleaded guilty to assaulting an Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) officer, according to a statement from U.S. Attorney Nicholas J. Ganjei for the Southern District of Texas.
The incident occurred on September 23, 2025, during a targeted enforcement operation in Houston. Authorities were attempting to locate Sindi Vanessa Moreno-Flores when they encountered her as she was entering her vehicle. According to officials, Moreno-Flores resisted arrest by pulling away and scratching an ICE agent’s upper left arm and hands. She also swung her arm in an attempt to strike the officer while wearing a handcuff on her wrist. After fleeing into a group of bystanders, law enforcement eventually restrained and arrested her.
U.S. District Judge George Hanks will determine sentencing at a later date. Moreno-Flores could face up to eight years in federal prison and a possible maximum fine of $250,000. She remains in custody pending the hearing.
The investigation was conducted by ICE - Homeland Security Investigations, with Assistant U.S. Attorney Justin R. Martin prosecuting the case.
“This case is part of Operation Take Back America, a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime,” according to the announcement.
The U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Texas is part of the U.S. Department of Justice and operates under the Attorney General (official website). The office has locations in Houston, Galveston, Corpus Christi, Laredo, McAllen, and Brownsville (official website). It employs more than 200 attorneys who prosecute federal crimes and handle civil cases for the government (official website), covering 43 counties with a population exceeding nine million (official website). Past leaders have included Alamdar Hamdani (2022–2025) and Ryan Patrick (official history page).
