- Florida authorities arrested Elias Bautista, an undocumented Mexican national, on June 18 in Levy County after he allegedly assaulted an ICE agent during a June 16 traffic stop in Orange County.
- Bautista was charged with aggravated battery on a law enforcement officer after resisting arrest and causing a significant head injury to the ICE agent involved.
The Florida Highway Patrol (FHP) arrested a Mexican national in Levy County on June 18 following an investigation into the alleged assault of a U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agent during a traffic stop in Orange County.
According to an FHP release sent on Tuesday, members of the agency’s Criminal Alien Apprehension Team, working alongside ICE agents, conducted a traffic stop on June 16 near Americana Boulevard and Pointe Vista Circle in Orange County. During the stop, multiple occupants exited the vehicle and fled on foot.
An ICE agent pursued one of the fleeing individuals, identified as Elias Bautista, who authorities said entered the United States illegally. Investigators allege Bautista resisted lawful detention and struck the ICE agent during a physical altercation, causing the agent to suffer a significant head injury before fleeing the scene.
The FHP’s Bureau of Criminal Investigations and Intelligence, Criminal Alien Apprehension Team, ICE Enforcement and Removal Operations, and Homeland Security Investigations conducted a joint investigation using surveillance, intelligence gathering, witness interviews and law enforcement databases to identify and locate the suspect…