Cristian Geovanni Rojas Benitez, a 37-year-old Mexican national, was sentenced to 14 months in prison for assaulting a federal agent with a vehicle. The sentencing was announced by United States Attorney David Metcalf and handed down by U.S. District Judge Gail A. Weilheimer.
Rojas Benitez had overstayed his visa and remained in the United States illegally. He was charged by indictment in August of last year and pleaded guilty in October. During his plea hearing, he admitted to intentionally driving his pickup truck toward a federal agent.
According to court records, on June 23, 2025, agents from Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) and other federal officers were attempting to take Rojas Benitez into custody after he violated conditions of his immigration release. These violations included a 2024 conviction in Lancaster County for false identification to law enforcement, operating a vehicle without ignition interlock, possession of a controlled substance, and driving an unregistered vehicle.
Federal officers conducted surveillance at a residence in Downingtown, Pennsylvania based on information they received about Rojas Benitez’s location. At around 8:30 a.m., they observed him leaving the residence and entering a pickup truck. When officers attempted to stop the vehicle, Rojas Benitez did not comply with commands to exit or lower the window.
During the encounter, an HSI agent moved in front of the vehicle for visibility while officers warned Rojas Benitez that they would break his window if he continued not to comply. After multiple warnings went unheeded, one officer broke the rear driver’s side window. Rojas Benitez then drove over the sidewalk toward the HSI agent, who had to push off the truck and jump aside to avoid being hit. The incident also nearly involved a passing school bus.
After fleeing the scene, Rojas Benitez left Pennsylvania and was later found by the U.S. Marshals Service on July 24, 2025, in Washington, D.C.
The case is part of Operation Take Back America, an initiative by the Department of Justice aimed at addressing illegal immigration and targeting criminal organizations.
The investigation involved Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), Immigration and Customs Enforcement - Enforcement and Removal Operations (ICE-ERO), and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF).
