BROWNSVILLE, Texas – A brutal assault on a U.S. Border Patrol (BP) agent has landed a Honduran man behind bars. Hernan Cortez-Mazariegos, a 35-year-old illegal alien from Honduras, has been sentenced to 18 months in prison for assaulting a federal officer.
The crime occurred on November 15, 2016, when BP agents responded to a report of illegal alien traffic south of the border fence near Azucena street in Brownsville.
A BP agent attempted to apprehend Cortez-Mazariegos, but he fled. The agent followed and attempted to arrest him, at which time Cortez-Mazariegos struck him on the side of his face, sustaining minor injury.
Cortez-Mazariegos was eventually subdued and apprehended with the assistance of another BP agent. A federal jury returned a guilty verdict against Cortez-Mazariegos on August 17, 2017, following a one-day trial and approximately two hours of deliberations.
U.S. District Judge Andrew S. Hanen handed Cortez-Mazariegos an 18-month sentence. Not a U.S. citizen, Cortez-Mazariegos is expected to face deportation proceedings following his release from prison.
Cortez-Mazariegos will remain in custody pending transfer to a U.S. Bureau of Prisons facility, which will be determined in the near future. The FBI and U.S. Customs and Border Protection conducted the investigation, while Assistant U.S. Attorneys David Coronado and Jody Young prosecuted the case.
Cortez-Mazariegos, a Honduran national, is accused of assault, a serious crime that puts our law enforcement officers at risk. We hope that his sentence will serve as a deterrent to others who would seek to harm our agents.
Key Facts
- State: Texas
- Category: Violent Crime
- Source: DOJ Press Release â†â€â€
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