Dominic James Isaac Sandoval Peralta, a 24-year-old member of the Mescalero Apache Tribe, pleaded guilty on Apr. 30 to assaulting a federal officer during an incident on the Mescalero Apache Reservation.
The case highlights the risks faced by law enforcement officers responding to calls in tribal communities. According to court documents, Peralta assaulted and forcibly resisted a Bureau of Indian Affairs Office of Justice Services officer who was responding to a call at a residence on May 29, 2025. When the uniformed officer attempted to take Peralta into custody, Peralta advanced and struck the officer multiple times in the head, causing injuries. The officer used a taser device to subdue and arrest him. Even after being handcuffed, Peralta continued resisting by refusing commands to enter the patrol vehicle.
Peralta pleaded guilty to assault upon a federal officer involving physical contact and faces up to eight years in prison at sentencing.
First Assistant U.S. Attorney Ryan Ellison and Justin A. Garris, Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation’s Albuquerque Field Office, announced the plea agreement. The Las Cruces Resident Agency of the FBI’s Albuquerque Field Office investigated with assistance from the Bureau of Indian Affairs Office of Justice Services. Assistant U.S. Attorney James Dickens is prosecuting.
The outcome underscores ongoing efforts by federal authorities to address assaults against law enforcement personnel working within tribal jurisdictions.
