Dominican citizen arrested for assaulting federal ICE agents in San Juan

On June 30, Bean Gómez Cepeda, a citizen of the Dominican Republic, attempted to prevent his arrest by ramming his car into an official ICE HSI vehicle.

By The Star Staff

Bean Gómez Cepeda, a citizen of the Dominican Republic, was arrested last Tuesday after being accused of attacking federal Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE HSI) agents with his vehicle to avoid detention in San Juan.

“The individual will be prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law,” said Rebecca González Ramos, special agent in charge of ICE HSI in San Juan, in a written statement.

The incident occurred on June 30, when Gómez Cepeda attempted to prevent his arrest by ramming his car into an official ICE HSI vehicle. The collision caused damage and injuries to the agents, who arrested Gómez Cepeda and five other occupants without legal immigration status in the United States.

Prosecutor Jeanette Collazo Ortiz and Prosecutor César E. Rivera Díaz are handling the case, which involves two criminal charges: assaulting federal agents with a dangerous weapon and destroying government property.

The defendant had previously been arrested by Border Patrol agents in El Paso, Texas in 2023 and processed for expedited removal. After appearing in federal court on July 2, he was taken into custody by the U.S. Marshals, pending a bail hearing scheduled for July 11.

The first charge carries a penalty of up to one year in prison and a $100,000 fine, while the second could carry a penalty of up to 10 years in prison and a $250,000 fine.