A shocking photo made public Monday by the federal government shows the gruesome bite mark left on an ICE officer after an alleged Tren de Aragua gangster attacked him during an immigration raid.
Federal prosecutors say Robert Antonio Bastardo Llovera, an illegal migrant from Venezuela, bit the ICE officer on his forearm during an operation on July 15 near San Diego‘s Mission Bay waterfront.
Bastardo, 32, is a member of the international Tren de Aragua gang who was wanted on an immigration charge, federal authorities said.
Bastardo was among a group of suspects targeted in an immigration raid in the beachside area when he began violently resisting his apprehension there, federal authorities said.
During his arrest for an immigration violation, Bastardo engaged in a five-minute struggle with federal officers culminating in the bite, prosecutors said.
He was charged with assault on a federal officer, a federal crime punishable by up to 20 years in prison.
“Our office will continue to prioritize the protection of federal officers engaged in their lawful duties,” said U.S. Attorney Adam Gordon in a statement.
Bastardo was living in the United States without legal immigration status and was ordered removed by an Immigration Judge on June 10, after failing to appear for court, according to prosecutors.
ICE took Bastardo and other suspects from campers that were parked in a beachside area, according to witnesses who filmed the raid.
But as officers tried to bring Bastardo into custody, he went wild, according to a statement issued by the Department of Homeland Security.
Bastardo bit one ICE officer in the arm and kicked another in the chest before the officers brought him under control, federal authorities said.
Bastardo’s mouth left a disgusting purple bruise where he bit the agent. His teeth marks are clearly visible in a photo of the injury circulated Monday by federal prosecutors.
Officers placed Bastardo under arrest, along with four other illegal immigrants, the Department of Homeland Security said in a statement.
The statement also said Bastardo was “confirmed to be a member of the violent transnational criminal organization Tren de Aragua.”
Bastardo was previously arrested in Texas for choking the mother of his child, according to court documents.
He has tattoos associated with Tren de Aragua and has been photographed making the gang’s hand sign, the documents said.
Bastardo pled guilty to his federal charge on March 3 and was sentenced Monday to time served after eight months and two days in custody.
“Let it be clear: physical assaults on federal officers will not be tolerated under any circumstances,” said the statement issued by the Department of Homeland Security.
Federal authorities would not immediately say if Bastardo was still being held or if he would be deported.
Created in a Venezuelan prison, the Tren de Aragua gang has been blamed by federal law enforcement authorities for an explosion of crime across the United States, including murders, kidnapping and narcotics trafficking.
Federal authorities in LA last week arrested an alleged Tren de Aragua leader known as ‘El Turko’ on murder and kidnapping charges, for crimes he allegedly committed in Chile.
Rafael Enrique Gamez Salas, 40, will be extradited to Chile where he will be prosecuted on seven criminal charges, according to the Department of Justice.
Salas has previously been convicted in the United States for human smuggling and illegal entry after deportation.
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