Jose Manuel Castillo Jr., Damaging Government Property, California 2025

SACRAMENTO, Calif. — A man is facing charges after allegedly damaging a Customs and Border Protection vehicle in Sacramento.

Jose Manuel Castillo Jr., 31, of Sacramento, was charged with depredation of government property, according to a criminal complaint filed by the U.S. Attorney's Office.

On July 17, 2025, U.S. Customs and Border Protection agents conducted an operation at a Home Depot store in the Sacramento area. During the operation, Castillo allegedly refused to move away from law enforcement and shouted obscenities at the agents as they transferred arrested aliens to a van.

Castillo was seen walking towards the SUV from the rear passenger side, and agents near the vehicle's driver's side heard a pop and a loud hissing noise. The tire was later found to be completely flat.

After being ordered to stop by law enforcement, Castillo turned and ran away. He was caught after a short chase and later searched. A folding pocketknife was found in his pants pocket, with a blade consistent with the width of the hole in the SUV's tire.

Castillo is not in custody and will appear for an initial hearing at a date and time chosen by the Court. This case is the product of an investigation by Homeland Security Investigations and U.S. Customs and Border Protection.

If convicted, Castillo faces a maximum statutory penalty of one year in prison and a $100,000 fine. Any sentence, however, would be determined at the discretion of the court after consideration of any applicable statutory factors and the Federal Sentencing Guidelines, which take into account a number of variables. The charges are only allegations; the defendant is presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.

Source: https://www.justice.gov/usao-edca/pr/sacramento-man-charged-damaging-customs-and-border-protection-vehicle