U.S. Attorney: Illegal alien assaulted federal agent in Rotterdam

An illegal alien is accused of assaulting a federal agent who had come to arrest him.

Michel Manuel Garcia Rojas, 38, is a native of Nicaragua and has illegally been in the United States since 2023, the U.S. Attorney’s Office said. Rotterdam Police contacted Homeland Security Investigations Wednesday to tell them Garcia Rojas and another illegal alien were being charged with misdemeanors of petit larceny and endangering the welfare of a child.

Under the new Laken Riley Act, HSI obtained warrants to arrest them.

While in the federal law enforcement vehicle, Garcia Rojas allegedly managed to get out of one of the handcuffs and began to walk away. The agent attempted to place him back under arrest, when Garcia Rojas hit the agent in the jaw and threw him into a door, prosecutors said.

Six law enforcements officers used a Taser to arrest Garcia Rojas. The agent had a bruise on his jaw, cuts on his hands and knees, and injuries to his back.

Garcia Rojas told agents during processing that he was a police officer in Nicaragua, and he trained others on the use of defensive tactics.

He faces a maximum of 20 years in prison and fine of $250,000 if convicted.

Garcia Rojas was ordered detained pending a detention hearing scheduled for March 10.