In September, federal prosecutors charged Ricardo Prieto Simmental, a 25-year-old Mexican national, with biting and assaulting a Border Patrol agent near Santa Teresa, New Mexico. On Wednesday, the Justice Department announced that it had charged Prieto Simmental and several other immigrants with assault on U.S. Border Patrol agents in other recent incidents in the Border Patrol's El Paso sector.
As reported by Breitbart Texas, an unidentified Border Patrol agent was attacked while on patrol near Sunland Park, New Mexico. Clashes broke out as agents, along with several others, tried to arrest the migrant who had crossed the border. The migrant, later identified as Mexican Ricardo Prieto-Simental, allegedly punched and bit a Border Patrol agent as he was being led into a transport vehicle on September 19. News of the assault highlighted a rise in assaults against agents, particularly in the El Paso area. In the El Paso area, which includes Sunland Park, New Mexico, agents have seen the number of assaults increase from 46 in 2021 to more than 70 since October, according to CBP.
According to the U.S. Attorney's Office in Albuquerque, New Mexico, Prieto-Simmental fled from investigators and attempted to destroy a cell phone on a rock. He then threw the phone at the Border Patrol agent's head, prosecutors said. Border Patrol agents then attempted to handcuff him. Prieto Simmental allegedly began punching, kicking and biting the Border Patrol agent. Prieto Simmental reportedly bit the drug on his left forearm, breaking the skin and causing bite marks and bruises.
Prieto Simmental was charged with assault on a federal officer and is being held pending trial. Last week's announcement by the Justice Department included several other charges as part of an effort by the U.S. Department of Justice, FBI, and Border Patrol to combat the increasing number of assaults on agents along the Southwest border. This was emphasized.
In a similar incident, Mexican national Enrique Rodriguez Salazar, 26, was approached by U.S. Border Patrol agents near Santa Teresa, New Mexico on September 26, 2024. According to U.S. Attorney's Office, as officers tried to restrain Rodriguez, he said: He fought back against the agent, who was lying on the ground, and threw a handful of dirt into his face, hitting him in the eye. After being hit, agents fired a Taser and subdued Rodriguez..
Rodriguez was charged with assault on a federal officer and appeared before a federal judge. He is also being held pending resolution of the case.
In another case highlighted in the U.S. Attorney's Office announcement, Erica Jasmine Lobato-Meléndez was arrested for physical contact for her role in an attack on Border Patrol agents on May 29, 2024. Pleaded guilty to assault on a federal officer. Agents encountered a group of five people, including three children, walking along the border wall. Lobato Melendez, a Salvadoran national, bit the agent's forearm with such force that it caused bruises and scrapes on his uniform jacket. As a result, the agent required medical treatment.
At sentencing, Lobato-Melendez could face up to eight years in federal prison.
The Federal Bureau of Investigation Las Cruces Station investigated the incidents with assistance from the U.S. Border Patrol, according to the release. Assistant United States Attorneys Kirk Williams, Mark Saltman, and Christopher S. McNair are prosecuting these cases.
randy clark He is a 32-year veteran of the U.S. Border Patrol. Prior to his retirement, he served as Division Chief of Law Enforcement Operations, directing operations for nine Border Patrol stations within the Del Rio, Texas area. Follow him at X (formerly Twitter) @RandyClarkBBTX.
