A Mexican national has been charged with illegal reentry into the United States, drug distribution, and assaulting a federal officer, according to the United States Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Ohio, which announced the indictment on Friday.
Jose Adin Benjume-Gutierrez, 45, is charged with three counts stemming from several alleged acts, including the February 3 assault on a Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) special agent.
According to federal prosecutors, Benjume-Gutierrez purposefully and violently assaulted the agent during a confrontation with ICE officers. Authorities assert that Benjume-Gutierrez engaged in cocaine trafficking in April and illegally reentered the country following deportations in 2011 and 2016.
Charges carry potential for decades-long sentence
If found guilty, Benjume-Gutierrez may face up to 20 years in jail for cocaine distribution and assault charges. The charge of illegal reentry carries a potential two-year imprisonment.
The indictment was issued by Acting U.S. Attorney Kelly A. Norris, with assistance from ICE Homeland Security Investigations Detroit, ICE Enforcement and Removal Operations Detroit, and the Franklin County Sheriff’s Department. Tyler J. Aagard, an Assistant United States Attorney, is prosecuting the case.
