Last week, a federal grand jury returned an indictment against Jorge Oliverio Moran-Can, 42, of Guatemala, charging him with Assault on a Federal Officer Resulting in Bodily Injury.
The initial complaint issued last month, alleged that on July 3, 2022, a United States Border Patrol (USBP) agent responded to a remote location near New Field, Arizona. The agent was tracking a group of suspected undocumented noncitizens in a remote mountainous area when the agent spotted three people hiding near a ledge. When the agent approached them, two of the suspected undocumented noncitizens fled on foot. Moran-Can stayed and initially remained compliant, but when the agent reached out to handcuff him, Moran-Can rammed his shoulder into the agent’s torso causing them both to fall and tumble several yards down a rocky slope. Moran-Can continued to struggle but the agent was able to gain control and handcuff him. The agent sustained abrasions and bruising on his left knee and hip and was treated at a hospital.
A conviction for the crime of assault on a federal officer resulting in bodily injury carries a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison, and up to a $250,000 fine, or both.
