Step.- The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) arrested two Venezuelan nationals, Gregory Morillo-Quinto, 26, and Luiscar Godoy-Hernández, 20, for assaulting a federal officer in El Paso, Monday morning.
At approximately 06:50 am, a United States Border Patrol (USBP) agent with the El Paso sector apprehended a group of four undocumented non-citizens on the west side of the city. The USBP agent observed and detained two additional undocumented immigrants. While attempting to put everyone in a USBP vehicle, Godoy-Hernandez kicked the agent in the chest and sped away. As the USBP agent was arresting him, Godoy-Hernández hit the agent on the head. Godoy-Hernández was subdued by the agent and detained. During the altercation, the five original detainees escaped from the USBP vehicle.
While attempting to track down the five original detainees, the USBP agent observed a group of three additional undocumented non-citizens running away from the agent. Morillo-Quinto was part of this second group. When the officer tried to stop him, Morillo-Quinto struck the officer in the head. An agent deputy and a concerned citizen were able to assist the agent in maintaining custody of Morillo-Quinto.
Morillo-Quinto and Godoy-Hernandez made their opening appearances before Federal Magistrate Judge Leon Schydlow on Tuesday.
Morillo-Quinto and Godoy-Hernández have been indicted for assault on a federal officer.
“Our partners at USBP put their lives on the line every day while protecting our nation’s borders,” said FBI El Paso Special Agent in Charge Jeffrey R. Downey. “We are grateful that this USBP agent was not seriously injured and was able to return home to his family today. Assaults on Border Patrol agents or any other federal agents/officials or Task Force officers will not be tolerated and They will be directed quickly by our office so they can continue to fulfill their sworn duty to protect our communities.”
“I condemn this violent behavior as such actions pose a risk to our border security mission and, most importantly, to the El Paso sector agents, who are fully committed to their duties to safeguard our nation’s borders,” said the El Paso Sector Interim Patrol. Agent Peter Judge. “We will not tolerate these violent assaults on our officers and will continue to seek criminal prosecution against such assailants.”
The Federal Bureau of Investigation’s El Paso Field Office Gang and Crime Task Force investigated this case.
It is important to note that defendants are innocent until proven in a court of law.
