U.S. Attorney Nicholas J. Ganjei said today that a federal grand jury in Texas accused 12 illegal immigrants of allegedly attacking two federal correctional guards at the East Hidalgo Detention Center in La Villa in January 2025.
The defendants, who are from Mexico and Guatemala, are accused of aiding and abetting the attack, which has prompted a sharp response from federal officials vowing to prevent violence against law officers.
The indicted individuals include Mexican nationals Bryan Hernandez-Ruiz, 25; Francisco Antonio Hernandez-Mora, 27; Ivan Ramirez-Zapata, 40; Adrian David Guzman-Salas, 28; David Ramirez-Bautista, 21; Roberto Fabian Garza-Castaneda, 49; Jose Alberto Resendez-Hernandez, 27; Jose Ramos-Lerma, 45; Ruben Gonzalez-Balderas, 29; and Oscar Ambrocio Hernandez, 25, alongside Osman Joel Hernandez-Pavon, 22, and Roger Emmanuel Lemus, 42, both from Guatemala.
All 12 are set to appear before U.S. Magistrate Judge Juan F. Alanis on Wednesday.
According to the indictment, the group collectively participated in the assault on the two officers in the detention center, albeit the specifics of the incident are unknown. The accusations are part of a larger crackdown on violence in federal custody, especially as the Trump administration increases immigration enforcement.
“The Department of Justice has zero tolerance for violence against law enforcement officers,” Ganjei said. “The grand jury has returned an indictment that alleges a serious attack on two corrections officers, and, rest assured, the Southern District of Texas will hold accountable all those found guilty.”
If convicted, each defendant could face eight years in federal prison and a $250,000 fine. All were jailed prior to the indictment and will remain so till trial. The FBI and the US Marshals Service spearheaded the investigation, while Assistant US Attorneys Laura Garcia and Avery Benitez prosecuted the case.
The incident at East Hidalgo Detention Center, a facility that houses immigration inmates, exemplifies persistent difficulties in the immigration detention system.
