By Steve Neavling
A Mexican man living in the U.S. without legal status has been sentenced to two years in federal prison for assaulting a Border Patrol agent during a failed human smuggling attempt, federal prosecutors said.
Guillermo Osto-Navarrete, 27, pleaded guilty in February to the 2024 assault and was sentenced this week by a federal judge in Laredo, Texas, who also noted he was not legally in the country, KGNS TV reports.
Authorities say the incident began on Oct. 14, 2024, when Osto-Navarrete picked up several people who had crossed the Rio Grande. When officers tried to stop his vehicle, he fled with the headlights off, blew through stop signs, and struck a Department of Public Safety patrol vehicle.
After the crash, a Border Patrol agent approached the car to check on the driver. That’s when Osto-Navarrete allegedly got out and began striking the agent in the face and head. The agent tried to restrain him, but Osto-Navarrete kept hitting him and ran away, according to federal officials.
Police caught up to him and took him to a hospital, where he briefly escaped custody before being captured again.
The agent suffered bruises, a black eye, and lacerations. A DPS officer involved in the crash had minor injuries.
During questioning, Osto-Navarrete told authorities he had been paid $50 to transport the migrants.
He will remain in custody until he is transferred to a federal prison. After serving his sentence, he is expected to be deported to Mexico.
The case was investigated by Border Patrol, the FBI, DPS, and Laredo police as part of Operation Take Back America, a federal initiative targeting cartels and cross-border crime.
