United States Attorney’s Office Western District of Texas press release
A Honduran national was sentenced today in a federal court in Del Rio to 96 months in prison for assaulting a U.S. Border Patrol agent while attempting to illegally enter the United States.
According to court documents, Trinidad De Jesus Madrid-Rivas, and another illegal alien attempted to flee from two U.S. Border Patrol agents south of Spofford on Aug. 17, 2024. When one of the agents approached, Madrid-Rivas became assaultive, resisted arrest and attempted to choke the agent, leaving a mark on his neck.
During the incident, Madrid-Rivas released the safety of the agent’s duty weapon, left an incision on the agent’s hand with his fingernails, and struck the agent in the arm, causing the handgun to fire. The agent eventually regained control and attempted to call for help on his radio when Madrid-Rivas ripped the ear piece from the agent’s ear, along with the collapsible baton from the agent’s duty belt. Madrid-Rivas then attempted to gain possession of the agent’s pistol. Fearing for his life during the struggle over the handgun, the agent fired a single round and Madrid-Rivas fled again. He was later apprehended.
Madrid-Rivas pleaded guilty on Jan. 8 to one count of assaulting, resisting, or impeding certain officers or employees. He was also convicted in 2023 for felony assault on a peace officer. In that assault, police officers responded to a burglary in progress when they encountered Madrid-Rivas yielding a machete. After physically removing the machete from Madrid-Rivas, he bit one of the officers and later hit another officer with his head.
“This district and the Department of Justice will not tolerate violent criminal behavior that endangers our law enforcement officers, and this case is one of many that shows the potentially fatal risks our partners along the border face every day of the week,” said U.S. Attorney Justin R. Simmons for the Western District of Texas. “Understand that we greatly value the efforts of our local, state, federal, and tribal law enforcement partners, and we will aggressively prosecute anyone who obstructs or assaults these men and women who risk their lives to keep our nation secure.”
The U.S. Border Patrol investigated the case.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Matt Kass prosecuted the case.
