Suspected Tren de Aragua member charged with attempted murder of ICE officer in Nebraska

A suspected Tren de Aragua member, an illegal immigrant from Venezuela, has been charged with attempted murder of a federal officer as well as assault of a federal officer with infliction of injury. 

According to a press release from the Department of Justice, Gabriel Hurtado-Cariaco, 30, who was illegally living in Bellevue, Nebraska, was charged on Friday with one count of attempted murder and assault. Immigration enforcement agents had a warrant for Hurtado-Cariaco to be taken into custody and encountered him while the suspect was driving. 

"The agents initiated a traffic stop with lights and sirens. Hurtado-Cariaco pulled over and exited his vehicle with his arms raised. The agents gave instructive commands to Hurtado-Cariaco and attempted to place him in hand cuffs," the DOJ stated. 

The complaint against him stated, "Hurtado-Cariaco, a suspected member of Tren de Aragua, began to fight with one Special Agent where both landed on the ground. Hurtado-Cariaco was able to throw the agent off him launching the agent through the air resulting in the agent forcefully striking their head and elbow on the pavement injuring them," per the DOJ's release. 

Hurtado-Cariaco then was able to put the injured agent in a chokehold and ignored commands from other officers to release the agent. A "second agent placed Hurtado-Cariaco in a chokehold to stop the assault. Hurtado-Cariaco released his chokehold on the agent and then used his leverage, broke away from the second agent, and ran," the DOJ stated. 

The suspected TdA member was then located on foot, where he was later taken into custody. The agent had to be taken to the hospital for treatment. Attorney General Pam Bondi said of the attack on the federal officer, “Deadly violence against law enforcement officers will not be tolerated by this Department of Justice. We have charged this illegal alien with attempted murder."