Mexican National Sentenced for Assaulting Federal Officers

BROWNSVILLE, Texas – A 24-year-old woman from Matamoros, Tamaulipas, Mexico has been ordered to federal prison following her conviction on two different assaults of federal officers, announced Acting U.S. Attorney Abe Martinez. Maribel Tejeda-Fomperosa pleaded guilty in February 2017.

Today, U.S. District Judge Rolando Olvera ordered Tejeda-Fomperosa to serve 21 months in federal prison. Not a U.S. citizen, she is expected to face deportation proceedings following her release from prison. Tejeda-Fomperosa’s sentence includes upward adjustments or increases in her calculated sentencing guideline range because she was found to have made physical contact with the victims and because each victim sustained bodily injury. Tejeda-Fompersa also received an upward adjustment because she assaulted two different federal officers.

Border Patrol (BP) agents arrested Tejeda-Fomperosa on Oct. 24, 2016, after she made an illegal entry into the United States by wading across the Rio Grande River near Brownsville. She became physically and verbally aggressive after being placed in a holding cell following that arrest. As a result, she physically assaulted a BP agent attempting to restrain her and spat at a second agent. The evidence also indicated that on Nov. 15, 2016, while in custody for the Oct. 24, 2016, assault, Tejeda-Foromperosa again became physically and verbally aggressive and assaulted a corrections officer while being held at the Willacy County Regional Detention Center. Tejeda-Frompersoa was indicted separately for both assaults.

The FBI conducted the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney Angel Castro is prosecuting the case.