Sayler A. Fleming, U.S. Attorney | U.S. Attorney' Office for the Eastern District of Missouri
Sayler A. Fleming, U.S. Attorney | U.S. Attorney' Office for the Eastern District of Missouri
A Colombian national, Yefferson Josue Pinzon Suarez, has been indicted in St. Louis on charges of assaulting a federal officer with U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE). The indictment was issued by a grand jury in the U.S. District Court.
Pinzon Suarez, 31, is accused of attacking a deportation officer during an incident at the Robert A. Young Federal Building in downtown St. Louis. According to court documents, the alleged assault occurred after Pinzon Suarez refused to cooperate during fingerprinting procedures. He reportedly bit the officer's forearm and struck him in the chest.
The legal proceedings follow a March decision by an immigration judge ordering Pinzon Suarez's removal from the United States. He was picked up from St. Louis County Jail on June 20, where he had been serving a sentence before being transferred for deportation processing.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Colleen Lang is leading the prosecution of this case, which falls under Operation Take Back America—a Department of Justice initiative aimed at addressing illegal immigration and associated criminal activities.
ICE's Department of Homeland Security conducted the investigation into the allegations against Pinzon Suarez. It is important to note that charges are accusations and do not equate to guilt; all defendants are presumed innocent until proven otherwise in court.
Pinzon Suarez had been residing in Maryland Heights prior to these events.
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