- Florida authorities arrested Elias Bautista, an undocumented Mexican national, on June 18 in Levy County after he allegedly assaulted an ICE agent during a June 16 traffic stop in Orange County.
- Bautista was charged with aggravated battery on a law enforcement officer after resisting arrest and causing a significant head injury to the ICE agent involved.
The Florida Highway Patrol (FHP) arrested a Mexican national in Levy County on June 18 following an investigation into the alleged assault of a U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agent during a traffic stop in Orange County.
According to an FHP release sent on Tuesday, members of the agency’s Criminal Alien Apprehension Team, working alongside ICE agents, conducted a traffic stop on June 16 near Americana Boulevard and Pointe Vista Circle in Orange County. During the stop, multiple occupants exited the vehicle and fled on foot.
An ICE agent pursued one of the fleeing individuals, identified as Elias Bautista, who authorities said entered the United States illegally. Investigators allege Bautista resisted lawful detention and struck the ICE agent during a physical altercation, causing the agent to suffer a significant head injury before fleeing the scene.
The FHP’s Bureau of Criminal Investigations and Intelligence, Criminal Alien Apprehension Team, ICE Enforcement and Removal Operations, and Homeland Security Investigations conducted a joint investigation using surveillance, intelligence gathering, witness interviews and law enforcement databases to identify and locate the suspect.
On June 18, investigators located Bautista in Levy County and conducted a targeted operation with assistance from the Levy County Sheriff’s Office and ICE. Authorities said Bautista again resisted law enforcement before being taken into custody.
He was charged with aggravated battery on a law enforcement officer, a felony offense.
“Every day, our State Troopers and law enforcement partners demonstrate exceptional professionalism and courage as they carry out their duties to protect the people of Florida,” Florida Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles Executive Director Dave Kerner said in the press release. “The incident in Orange County serves as a stark reminder of the dangers all law enforcement face when individuals choose to violently resist lawful authority.”
Kerner credited the coordinated efforts of local, state and federal agencies for quickly identifying and apprehending the suspect.
“We remain focused on ensuring that those who endanger our officers or our communities are held fully accountable, especially those who should have never been in our country to begin with,” Kerner said.
ICE Enforcement and Removal Operations Miami Field Office Director Matthew Elliston said assaults against federal law enforcement officers will be prosecuted.
“Assaulting and obstructing law enforcement officers is a felony, and anyone who does so will be fully prosecuted,” Elliston said in the press release. “ICE officers are facing a 1,300% increase in assaults, a 3,200% increase in vehicle attacks, and an 8,000% increase in death threats. This is unacceptable.”
The investigation remains ongoing.