ICE Officer Bitten During Arrest in Louisiana as Assaults on Agents Surge
TULLOS, La. — A U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) officer was bitten in the hand by an illegal immigrant resisting arrest in central Louisiana, according to the Department of Homeland Security (DHS). The incident, described by DHS as a “gross attack,” occurred during an effort to detain Maximiliano Perez-Perez, who allegedly used his teeth as a weapon, breaking the officer’s skin and drawing blood.
Officials released an image showing the bloodied hand of the ICE officer following the encounter, which took place in the town of Tullos. According to DHS, Perez-Perez attempted to flee by pushing officers before biting the officer’s hand. He is now facing assault charges related to the incident.
“This criminal illegal alien is being charged with assault after he savagely bit a law enforcement officer in an attempt to evade arrest,” said DHS Assistant Secretary Tricia McLaughlin. She highlighted a troubling trend, noting a 1,150% increase in assaults against DHS law enforcement personnel and an 8,000% rise in death threats against agents nationwide.
“This is the reality of what our ICE officers are facing every day as they go to work to simply do their job and enforce the law,” McLaughlin added. She also criticized sanctuary policies, stating that many assaults, including biting and vehicle rammings, have occurred as a “direct result of sanctuary politicians encouraging illegal aliens to evade arrest.”
DHS confirmed that Perez-Perez entered the United States at an unknown date without inspection or parole by immigration authorities. The arrest underscores the risks faced by ICE officers amid heightened enforcement efforts.
The incident comes on the same day ICE publicized the arrest of another suspect, Logan Murfin of Tulsa, Oklahoma, who faces multiple felony counts for threatening federal agents online. ICE emphasized that threatening to assault or murder federal officers is a felony offense.
The agency’s increase in publicizing such arrests coincides with growing concerns about violence targeting immigration officers. The Department of Homeland Security has reported a significant surge in assaults on its personnel, reflecting the challenges of enforcing immigration laws amid political and social tensions.
ICE officers operate under dangerous conditions, often confronting individuals who resist arrest violently. According to data from U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, assaults on agents have escalated sharply in recent years, complicating efforts to maintain border security and immigration enforcement.
While the federal government focuses on detaining individuals who have entered the country unlawfully, critics argue that aggressive enforcement can lead to confrontations and civil rights concerns. Nonetheless, DHS officials maintain that protecting their officers is paramount and that violent resistance to lawful arrests cannot be tolerated.
The incident in Louisiana highlights the ongoing risks faced by immigration enforcement officers and the broader debate over immigration policy in the United States. For more information on ICE enforcement and DHS policies, visit the Department of Homeland Security’s immigration enforcement page and the ICE official website.
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