Victor Lara-Lopez, Assaulting Federal Officers, Washington 2026

Registered Sex Offender Sentenced to 24 Months Imprisonment for Assaulting Federal Law Enforcement Officers

Spokane, Washington – In a shocking display of violence, Victor Lara-Lopez, a 42-year-old registered sex offender and Mexican national, was sentenced to 24 months of imprisonment for assaulting two federal law enforcement officers in Washington State.

According to court documents and information revealed during the sentencing hearing, Lara-Lopez was convicted in 2022 of molesting a 12-year-old child in the Superior Court of Washington-County of Benton. He was sentenced to a prison term above the standard range because he held a position of trust over the child at the time of the offense.

Lara-Lopez was unlawfully residing in the United States at the time of the sexual abuse and served his prison term in the Washington State Department of Corrections (DOC). Despite his lack of status and sex offense conviction, he was released back into the community.

In June 2025, local Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) officers identified Lara-Lopez as a person residing unlawfully in Pasco, Washington, and sought to arrest him on an administrative warrant. On June 13, 2025, two ICE officers attempted to execute the warrant and arrest Lara-Lopez, but he refused to turn off his vehicle, provide his name, or exit his vehicle.

Lara-Lopez drove the vehicle, initially reversing, then driving forward onto the sidewalk, hitting an ICE vehicle with such force that the front bumper was pulled off. Both officers were forced to jump off of the vehicle’s running board to avoid being crushed between Lara-Lopez’s vehicle and an ICE vehicle. Both officers sustained injuries as a result of Lara-Lopez’s conduct.

Lara-Lopez fled the scene, and he remained whereabouts unknown for a full month despite efforts by the United States Marshalls Service (USMS), Homeland Security Investigations, and the FBI to locate him. He was apprehended in his vehicle on July 15, 2025, and initially refused to exit the vehicle. Two other individuals were located in the vehicle with Lara-Lopez, including a minor child. Lara-Lopez was prohibited from contact with minor children due to his supervision conditions for the prior sex offense conviction.

Lara-Lopez pled guilty to assaulting both ICE officers on December 2, 2025. During the sentencing hearing, Judge Mary K. Dimke noted Lara-Lopez’s history of failing to comply with law enforcement and advised that his refusal to comply with the lawful directives of federal law enforcement officers put the community, the officers, and Lara-Lopez at great risk.

The United States Attorney’s Office and the Federal Bureau of Investigation sought and obtained a federal complaint and arrest warrant for Lara-Lopez for two counts of Assault on a Federal Law Enforcement Officer. Lara-Lopez will serve 24 months of imprisonment to be followed by three years of supervised release for his crimes.

Defendant: Victor Lara-Lopez

Criminal Charges: Two counts of Assault on a Federal Law Enforcement Officer

City and State: Spokane, Washington

Exact Date: April 16, 2026

Sentence or Outcome: 24 months of imprisonment to be followed by three years of supervised release

Source: https://www.justice.gov/usao-edwa/pr/registered-sex-offender-and-mexican-national-sentenced-24-months-imprisonment-assault