A Guatemalan man, Jorge Oliverio Moran-Can, was found guilty this week by a federal jury of assaulting a Border Patrol agent.
The jury found the 42-year-old Moran-Can guilty of one count of Assault on a Federal Officer – Bodily Injury and one count of Assault on a Federal Officer – Physical Contact.
Moran-Can’s sentencing is scheduled for July 6, 2023.
According to the Department of Justice, on July 3, 2022, a United States Border Patrol 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. However, 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.
A conviction for Assault on a Federal Officer – Bodily Injury carries a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison, a maximum fine of $250,000, or both. A conviction for Assault on a Federal Officer – Physical Contact carries a maximum penalty of 8 years in prison, a maximum fine of $250,000, or both.