By Steve Neavling
A man who bit and attacked several Border Patrol agents at a processing center in El Paso was sentenced to nearly four years in prison, federal authorities said.
Carlos Ernesto Guerrero-Gutierrez received a three-year, 10-month prison sentence on each of three counts of assaulting a federal officer, according to the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Western District of Texas. The sentences will run concurrently.
“This conviction serves as a clear message — any individual who attempts to harm a federal officer will face swift and decisive action,” U.S. Border Patrol El Paso Sector Chief Patrol Agent Walter N. Slosar said. “These assaults will not be tolerated. Those who engage in such violence will be held fully accountable under the law.”
U.S. District Judge Kathleen Cardone sentenced Guerrero-Gutierrez on Jan. 17 at the Albert Armendariz Sr. Federal Courthouse in downtown El Paso. He will also serve three years of supervised release after completing his prison term.
Guerrero-Gutierrez pleaded guilty to the charges on May 6 as part of a plea agreement, court records show.
“This case serves as a stark reminder of the dangers they (Border Patrol agents) face in their mission to keep our nation safe, and this sentencing reflects our unwavering commitment to supporting and partnering with law enforcement at all levels to uphold public safety,” El Paso FBI Special Agent in Charge John Morales said.
