Nicaraguan national charged with assaulting ICE agents in San Jose

SAN JOSE – A 25-year-old Nicaraguan national is facing charges he assaulted three U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement deportation officers last month in San Jose, federal prosecutors said.

Francisco De-Jesus Morales was indicted by a grand jury on June 12, according to the U.S. Attorney’s Office. He is charged with assault on an officer inflicting bodily injury, assault on an officer with physical contact and misdemeanor assault on an officer.

Morales was first charged by complaint in May and made his initial appearance in district court on June 4.

The indictment alleges Morales assaulted the officers at an ICE facility on May 2 as they tried to take him into custody on a warrant for his removal and deportation from the United States.

One officer experienced “significant groin bruising,” prosecutors said, adding that other injuries to the officers included “scrapes, an ankle stress fracture/strain and a chest contusion.”

Morales was also injured in the confrontation. All four received medical treatment.

If convicted, Morales faces up to 20 years in prison and a fine of $250,000 for the assault on an officer inflicting bodily injury charge; up to eight years in prison and a fine of $250,000 for the assault on an officer with physical contact charge; and up to one year in prison and a $100,000 fine for the misdemeanor assault on an officer charge.

Any sentence following conviction, however, would be imposed by the court after consideration of U.S. sentencing guidelines and the federal statute governing the imposition of a sentence.

Morales was remanded to custody after making his initial appearance, according to prosecutors. He is scheduled to appear in court on June 24 for an arraignment on the indictment.

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