An illegal immigrant violently attacked a federal immigration officer during an arrest in Louisiana, leaving the agent’s hand bloodied after being bitten during a Thanksgiving weekend operation.
The incident occurred on Nov. 21 in Tullos, Louisiana, when Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents attempted to arrest 22-year-old Maximiliano Perez-Perez, an illegal immigrant from Mexico.
According to federal officials, Perez-Perez resisted arrest and used his teeth as a weapon, breaking the skin of an ICE agent’s hand.
Photos obtained by the Daily Mail show the agent walking away from the arrest scene with blood pouring from his hand following the attack.
Perez-Perez has since been charged with assaulting a law enforcement officer and remains in ICE custody pending removal from the United States.
Department of Homeland Security officials say the attack is part of a growing pattern of violence directed at federal immigration agents enforcing the law.
Assistant Homeland Security Secretary for Public Affairs Tricia McLaughlin warned that assaults on ICE and Customs and Border Protection officers have skyrocketed amid increased political rhetoric against immigration enforcement.
She said ICE agents are facing a 1,150 percent increase in assaults and an 8,000 percent surge in death threats while carrying out arrests.
McLaughlin blamed sanctuary policies and rhetoric from left-wing politicians for encouraging illegal immigrants to evade law enforcement and resist arrest.
She said biting, vehicle rammings, and physical attacks have become disturbingly common during enforcement operations.
The Louisiana attack follows a series of violent incidents targeting ICE officers nationwide, per the Daily Mail.
In November, a criminal alien in Houston beat an ICE officer in the face with a metal coffee cup during an arrest, leaving the agent with facial burns and a lacerated mouth.
Earlier this fall in Chicago, an undocumented immigrant dragged an ICE officer with his car while attempting to flee an arrest. The suspect died at the scene, while the officer suffered multiple injuries.
McLaughlin herself has become a target amid the rising hostility.
Earlier this month, twin brothers in New Jersey were arrested after allegedly threatening to torture and kill McLaughlin while encouraging others to shoot ICE agents on sight.
The suspects, Ricardo Antonio Roman-Flores and Emilio Roman-Flores, were taken into DHS custody in Absecon, New Jersey. Emilio faces multiple charges, including unlawful possession of an assault weapon, terroristic threats, and cyber harassment. Ricardo is charged with conspiracy to commit terroristic threats.
Federal officials say the threats underscore the dangerous environment ICE agents are now operating in as they attempt to enforce immigration law.
The Biden-era rollback of enforcement protections, combined with sanctuary city policies and public demonization of ICE, has created what DHS officials describe as a hostile atmosphere where agents are increasingly treated as targets rather than law enforcement officers.
Despite the risks, ICE officials say agents will continue carrying out arrests and removals.
Perez-Perez remains detained and is expected to be deported following the resolution of his criminal case.
DHS officials say the Louisiana attack is yet another reminder of the physical danger ICE officers face daily while enforcing federal law.
