Jorge Oliverio Moran-Can, Assault on a Federal Officer Resulting in Bodily Injury, Arizona 2022

TUCSON, Ariz. – Jorge Oliverio Moran-Can, 42, of Guatemala, has been indicted for Assault on a Federal Officer Resulting in Bodily Injury, a federal crime that carries a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison, and up to a $250,000 fine, or both.

According to a federal grand jury indictment, the incident occurred on July 3, 2022, when a United States Border Patrol (USBP) agent responded to a remote location near New Field, Arizona. The agent was tracking a group of suspected undocumented noncitizens in a remote mountainous area when the agent spotted three people hiding near a ledge. When the agent approached them, two of the suspected undocumented noncitizens fled on foot. Moran-Can stayed and initially remained compliant, but when the agent reached out to handcuff him, Moran-Can rammed his shoulder into the agent’s torso causing them both to fall and tumble several yards down a rocky slope. Moran-Can continued to struggle but the agent was able to gain control and handcuff him. The agent sustained abrasions and bruising on his left knee and hip and was treated at a hospital.

An indictment is simply a method by which a person is charged with criminal activity and raises no inference of guilt. An individual is presumed innocent until evidence is presented to a jury that establishes guilt beyond a reasonable doubt.

Customs and Border Protection’s U.S. Border Patrol conducted the investigation in this case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Sarah B. Houston, District of Arizona, Tucson, is handling the prosecution.

CASE NUMBER: CR-22-01661-SHR-LCK

RELEASE NUMBER: 2022-127 Moran-Can

Moran-Can, a Guatemalan national, is charged with Assault on a Federal Officer Resulting in Bodily Injury. The crime carries a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison, and up to a $250,000 fine, or both.

The agent involved in the incident sustained serious injuries, including abrasions and bruising on his left knee and hip. Moran-Can was able to gain control and handcuff him after a struggle.

An indictment is not a conviction, and Moran-Can is presumed innocent until evidence is presented to a jury that establishes guilt beyond a reasonable doubt.

Source: https://www.justice.gov/usao-az/pr/guatemalan-national-indicted-assaulting-border-patrol-agent