By Steve Neavling
The FBI arrested a 19-year-old Venezuelan national who is accused of biting a Border Patrol officer and drawing blood in a detention cell in El Paso, Texas, the bureau said in a news release Monday.
John Rincon-Teran, who is undocumented, was charged with assaulting a federal officer.
“Our partners with the United States Border Patrol interact with thousands of people every day and selflessly put themselves in harm’s way protecting our nation’s borders,” Jeffrey R. Downey, special agent in charge of the FBI’s El Paso Field Office, said. “Assaults on USBP officers or any other federal agents/officers or task force officers will not be tolerated and will be addressed swiftly by our office so they can continue to carry out their sworn duty to protect our communities.”
At about 5:45 p.m. on March 14, Rincon-Teran was in a detention cell with other undocumented migrants when he became agitated and grew aggressive towards the others.
When a Border Patrol officer told him to sit down and relax, he “became non-compliant and yelled obscenities” at the officers, the FBI said.
When officers tried to separate Rincon-Teran from the others, he “became more aggressive and positioned himself into a fighting stance.” While officers tried to handcuff him, he bit one of the officers and drew blood, according to the bureau.
“Our agents along with our Border Patrol Processing Coordinators continue to show valor and courage in the most trying circumstances. This is just another example of the inherent dangers our agents and BPCCs face every day,” El Paso Sector Chief Patrol Agent Anthony “Scott” Good said. “Thankfully, the aggressor is facing prosecution through our invaluable law enforcement partnerships with law enforcement agencies and the U.S. Attorney’s Office.”
