The U.S. Legal professional’s Workplace for the Center District of Florida launched an announcement a few current arrest involving alleged assault of regulation enforcement officers.
Jacksonville, Florida – Jennifer Susan Cruz (40, Jacksonville) has been charged by grievance with assaulting officers conducting an immigration operation. If convicted, Cruz faces a most penalty of eight years in federal jail. U.S. Legal professional Gregory W. Kehoe made the announcement.
In accordance with the grievance, federal immigration officers, assisted by the Florida Freeway Patrol (FHP), have been conducting an operation in Jacksonville to find and administratively arrest aliens who have been illegally current in the USA. Cruz was driving by and was recording on her cellular phone as an FHP Trooper was pulling over a car for a site visitors infraction. Cruz parked close to the location of the site visitors cease and was yelling on the Trooper as she continued to report. Immigration officers subsequently decided that the 2 occupants of the car have been aliens who have been illegally current in the USA.
One other Trooper approached Cruz and talked along with her about utilizing her cellular phone whereas driving. He requested for Cruz’s driver’s license, and he or she said that she didn’t have it however that she had {a photograph} of it on her cellular phone. Throughout this interplay, Cruz was argumentative, standoffish, and continued recording. The Trooper suggested Cruz that he had no difficulty along with her recording and that his concern was solely her unsafe and illegal use of a cellular phone whereas working a motorcar. Throughout the encounter, Cruz made unsolicited and inflammatory statements, asking whether or not the Trooper supported the “Nazis,” which she clarified as referring to ICE, and asking him to not shoot her within the face. The Trooper suggested Cruz that ICE officers have been current in an official capability and that he was not there to debate private or political views, however solely to deal with her site visitors violation.
Cruz confirmed the Trooper {a photograph} of her driver’s license and the Trooper informed Cruz to stay in her car whereas he performed additional investigation. A data test revealed that Cruz’s license was suspended as of June 17, 2025. As a result of Cruz’s license was suspended, the Trooper requested a tow truck to impound Cruz’s car, as she was not legally licensed to function it. Whereas the Trooper was ready for the tow truck, Cruz drove away. A number of Troopers instantly activated their emergency lights and sirens and maneuvered their patrol autos to field in Cruz’s car, and so they stopped it roughly 200 toes away from the site visitors cease.
After the car was stopped, the Trooper suggested Cruz that the site visitors cease had not been concluded, and that the car was going to be towed as a result of her license was suspended. He informed her to exit the car and give up the keys in order that the car may very well be launched to the tow firm. Cruz exited the car however instantly grew to become verbally hostile, cursing on the officers, and repeatedly refusing to give up the keys. In response to the Trooper’s directives, Cruz stated that she was “able to go” and, when requested, said that she meant that she was able to combat. When a Trooper tried to retrieve the keys from Cruz, Cruz struck the Trooper within the face with a closed fist. A number of officers then converged on Cruz to arrest her for the assault.
Cruz resisted arrest, together with by trying to strike and kick the officers. As Cruz continued to battle with them, officers took her to an FHP patrol car, throughout which she tried to kick the Trooper whom she had punched. As officers have been attempting to position Cruz contained in the car, Cruz kicked at an ICE officer, a Customs and Border Safety agent, and a Trooper, and efficiently struck the CBP agent and ICE officer, whose left hand was injured. Officers have been finally in a position to safe Cruz within the patrol car, however she continued kicking on the car’s home windows, roof, and in-car digicam.
Whereas being transported within the patrol car, Cruz said that her actions weren’t well worth the incident escalating “over a set of automotive keys.” Later, whereas awaiting additional transportation, Cruz made a cellphone name wherein she stated that she tousled “actually ugly” and that what she did was not okay. She subsequently informed the Trooper who she had punched that she was sorry for hurting her, that she was unsure why she acted that approach, and that she knew that the Trooper had a job to do.
A grievance is merely a proper cost {that a} defendant has dedicated a number of violations of federal legal regulation, and each defendant is presumed harmless except, and till, confirmed responsible.
This case is being investigated by Homeland Safety Investigations (HSI), U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) Enforcement Elimination Operations (ERO), and the Florida Freeway Patrol. It will likely be prosecuted by Assistant United States Legal professional Arnold B. Corsmeier.
