Federal prosecutors filed charges against 25-year-old Ricardo Prieto-Simental, a Mexican national accused of biting and attacking a Border Patrol agent near Santa Teresa, New Mexico, in September. On Wednesday, the Department of Justice announced the filing of charges against Prieto-Simental and the prosecution of several other migrants for 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. As the agent attempted to apprehend a migrant for crossing the border alongside several others, a struggle ensued. The migrant, later identified as Ricardo Prieto-Simental of Mexico, allegedly punched and bit the Border Patrol agent on September 19 while being led to a transport vehicle. News of the assault highlighted a rise in assaults against agents, particularly in the El Paso Sector. According to CBP, in the El Paso Sector, which includes Sunland Park, New Mexico, agents have seen the number of assaults rise from 46 in 2021 to more than 70 this year since October.
According to the United States Attorney’s Office in Albuquerque, New Mexico, Prieto-Simental fled from agents and then attempted to break a cell phone on a rock. He then threw the phone at a Border Patrol Agent’s head, prosecutors stated. The Border Patrol agent then attempted to place handcuffs on Prieto-Simental, who allegedly began punching, kicking, and biting the Border Patrol agent. Prieto-Simental reportedly bit the agent on the left forearm, breaking the skin and resulting in a bite mark and bruising.
Prieto-Simental is charged with assault of a federal agent and is being detained pending trial. The announcement last week by the Department of Justice highlighted several other prosecutions as part of an effort by the U.S. Attorney’s Office, FBI, and the Border Patrol to combat the rising assaults on agents along the southwest border.
In a similar case, Enrique Rodriguez-Salazar, 26, a Mexican national, was approached by U.S. Border Patrol agents near Santa Teresa, New Mexico, on September 26, 2024. According to the U.S. Attorney’s office, when agents attempted to detain Rodriguez, who was lying on the ground, he resisted and threw a handful of dirt into an agent’s face, hitting him in the eyes. After being hit, the agent deployed his taser and subdued Rodriguez.
Rodriguez is charged with assault of a federal agent and appeared before a federal judge. He is also being detained pending the resolution of his case.
In another case highlighted in the United States Attorney’s office announcement, Erika Jasmin Lobato-Melendez pleaded guilty to assaulting a federal officer involving physical contact for her role in an attack on a Border Patrol agent that occurred on May 29, 2024. When a Border Patrol agent encountered a group of five individuals, including three children, walking along the border wall Lobato-Melendez, a Salvadoran national, bit the Agent on the forearm with enough force to cause bruising and abrasions through her uniform jacket. As a result, the agent required medical treatment.
At sentencing, Lobato-Melendez faces up to eight years in federal prison.
According to the announcement, the Las Cruces Resident Agency of the Federal Bureau of Investigation investigated these cases with assistance from the U.S. Border Patrol. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Kirk Williams, Mark Saltman, and Christopher S. McNair are prosecuting these cases.
Randy Clark is a 32-year veteran of the United States Border Patrol. Prior to his retirement, he served as the Division Chief for Law Enforcement Operations, directing operations for nine Border Patrol Stations within the Del Rio, Texas, Sector. Follow him on X (formerly Twitter) @RandyClarkBBTX.
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