⏱ 2 min read
Jennifer Susan Cruz, a 41-year-old Jacksonville woman, pleaded guilty to assaulting federal immigration officers who were conducting an operation in her city. On January 13, 2026, Cruz was driving by and recording the scene on her cellphone as an FHP trooper pulled over a vehicle for a traffic infraction. The immigration officers were targeting aliens who were illegally present in the United States.
Cruz parked near the site of the traffic stop and yelled at the trooper while continuing to record. When another trooper approached her about using her cellphone while driving, Cruz became argumentative and made inflammatory statements, asking if the trooper supported the ‘Nazis,’ which she clarified as referring to U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE).
The trooper told Cruz that he had no issue with her recording and that his concern was solely her unsafe and unlawful use of a cellphone while operating a motor vehicle. Cruz showed the trooper a photo of her driver’s license on her cellphone and was told to remain in her vehicle while the trooper conducted further investigation.
Cruz now faces a maximum penalty of 20 years in federal prison. A sentencing date has not yet been set. U.S. Attorney Gregory W. Kehoe made the announcement, highlighting the seriousness of the crime and the consequences of assaulting federal officers.
📋 Key Facts
- Crime: Violent Crime
- Defendant: Florida
- Location: US
- Source: DOJ Press Release
