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Two individuals are in federal custody after allegedly ramming their vehicle into a U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) car and subsequently barricading themselves inside a nearby residence, leading to a standoff that involved the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI).
The incident occurred during a routine traffic stop in Avondale, Arizona, around 8 a.m. when the driver initially refused to stop, fled, and later returned to collide with the ICE vehicle occupied by two officers, according to ABC15.
The officers were taken to the hospital and are expected to recover, as reported by AZFamily.
After the collision, the suspects fled to a home where they barricaded themselves, prompting a multi-agency response. After several hours, they surrendered and were arrested.
The FBI’s Phoenix office announced the initiation of an “Assault on a Federal Officer (AFO)” investigation:
“FBI Phoenix is on the scene in Avondale and has opened an Assault on a Federal Officer (AFO) case following this morning’s attempted vehicle stop by ICE officers whereby the target vehicle failed to stop, attempted to return to a residence and upon arrival at the residence rammed into an ICE vehicle occupied by two officers. Following the AFO investigation in Avondale, the results will be turned over to the U.S. Attorney’s Office – District of Arizona, for a charging decision. The FBI was not part of the initial ICE/ERO law enforcement activity this morning.”
While federal authorities allege that the suspects rammed the ICE vehicle, family members of those arrested contest this account.
Charyln Flores, a resident of the home, claims that the ICE officers were the ones who collided with her husband’s truck. She stated that her husband and uncle are the ones in custody and described her experience during the standoff, saying she was the first to emerge from the house with her baby while ICE officers surrounded the area.
Flores recounted that she communicated with her husband and uncle through a speakerphone provided by ICE agents, urging them to come outside. She expressed her concern about their fate: “I love him. And then I’m going to fight to get him back with me or that I’m going to leave and be with him over there, wherever they take him. I don’t know where they’re going to leave him. I don’t know if they’re going to deport him or anything,” she said.
While Flores acknowledged that her husband and uncle do not have legal documentation to stay in the U.S., she noted that they possess work permits. She also mentioned that her mother-in-law and brother-in-law were arrested and deported earlier this year.
