Federal authorities have arrested a Barnegat Township man accused of hitting an ICE agent with a van and fleeing during an immigration enforcement operation in Ocean County.
A man has been charged with assaulting and injuring a federal officer after allegedly striking an Immigration and Customs Enforcement agent with a van during an enforcement operation in Manahawkin, federal prosecutors announced.
Eduardo Cruz Garcia, 39, appeared Tuesday before U.S. Magistrate Judge Justin T. Quinn in Trenton federal court and was ordered detained. He is charged by criminal complaint with assaulting a federal officer while the officer was engaged in official duties and inflicting bodily injury.
According to court documents, the incident occurred June 15 while ICE agents were attempting to locate and arrest another individual who was the target of a federal immigration investigation.
ICE says agents were searching for Peruvian national
Federal officials said ICE officers were conducting a targeted vehicle stop in Manahawkin in an effort to apprehend Friedrich Castillo-Ormeno, a Peruvian national who had received a final order of removal from an immigration judge on Jan. 30.
According to the Department of Homeland Security, Castillo-Ormeno had been released into the United States during the Biden administration and was the subject of an active ICE operation when agents encountered a white van driven by Cruz Garcia.
Authorities said multiple agents wearing vests marked “ICE Police” surrounded the vehicle and attempted to speak with Cruz Garcia and a passenger inside.
“The agents attempted to speak with Cruz Garcia and the passenger and asked them to open the van’s windows, but they refused,” prosecutors said.
Agent injured after being pinned
Instead of complying, Cruz Garcia allegedly accelerated the vehicle while an ICE agent was standing next to the van.
Federal prosecutors allege that Cruz Garcia “weaponized his vehicle” and struck the agent, pinning the officer between the van and an ICE vehicle.
“The victim agent fell to the ground yelling in pain,” court documents state.
Authorities said Cruz Garcia then struck a second ICE vehicle before fleeing the scene.
The injured agent suffered injuries to his thigh and shin and was transported to a hospital for treatment.
During the encounter, an ICE officer discharged a firearm after being struck, according to Homeland Security officials.
FBI and ICE locate suspect
Following the incident, federal authorities launched a manhunt for Cruz Garcia.
His arrest was announced by U.S. Attorney Robert Frazer, who condemned the alleged attack on law enforcement.
“As alleged, the defendant weaponized his vehicle and conducted an egregious assault on a federal law enforcement officer during the course of his official duties,” Frazer said. “Law enforcement must be able to carry out their duties without fear of obstruction or even worse, assault.”
FBI Newark Special Agent in Charge Stefanie Roddy said assaults on federal officers are treated as serious violent crimes.
“The FBI considers assault on a federal officer a severe and significant violent crime,” Roddy said. “We will continue to work with our valued law enforcement partners to ensure that incidents such as these are treated with the gravity they deserve.”
ICE warns violence against officers will not be tolerated
ICE Enforcement and Removal Operations Newark Acting Field Office Director Arthur J. Wilson Jr. said the agency would pursue criminal charges against anyone accused of assaulting federal officers.
“Let these charges against Cruz Garcia be a staunch reminder that assaulting and obstructing ICE law enforcement, as alleged here, is a serious crime and a felony,” Wilson said.
Wilson added that “violence against our federal law enforcement officers as ICE carries out our daily mission in accordance with U.S. immigration law will not be tolerated.”
The criminal complaint against Cruz Garcia is an allegation. He is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty in court.
Federal prosecutors have charged Eduardo Cruz Garcia, 39, of Barnegat Township, with assaulting, resisting, impeding, and interfering with a federal officer while inflicting bodily injury, according to a criminal complaint filed in U.S. District Court in New Jersey.
According to the affidavit filed by FBI Special Agent Anthony Martinez:
- On June 15, 2026, ICE Enforcement and Removal Operations agents were conducting an investigation in Manahawkin when they stopped a white van driven by Cruz Garcia.
- A passenger was also inside the vehicle.
- Multiple ICE agents wearing vests marked “ICE Police” surrounded the van and attempted to speak with Cruz Garcia and the passenger.
- Agents instructed the occupants to roll down the van’s windows, but they allegedly refused.
The complaint alleges that instead of complying, Cruz Garcia accelerated the van while an ICE agent was standing beside the driver’s side attempting to communicate with him.
Federal authorities claim the van struck the agent, pinning him between the van and an ICE vehicle.
The complaint states that the agent fell to the ground “yelling in pain” and that Cruz Garcia continued driving, striking another ICE vehicle before fleeing the scene.
According to investigators:
- The injured ICE agent suffered injuries to his thigh and shin.
- The agent required treatment at a hospital.
- Body-worn camera footage allegedly captured Cruz Garcia inside the van during the stop.
The charge filed is a violation of 18 U.S.C. §111(a)(1) and (b), which makes it a federal crime to forcibly assault, resist, impede, intimidate, or interfere with a federal officer engaged in official duties and cause bodily injury.
The complaint was signed by FBI Special Agent Anthony Martinez and approved by U.S. Magistrate Judge Justin T. Quinn on June 16.
Key Points
• Eduardo Cruz Garcia, 39, of Barnegat Township, has been charged with assaulting and injuring a federal officer.
• Prosecutors allege he struck an ICE agent with a van during an immigration enforcement operation in Manahawkin.
• The injured agent was hospitalized with leg injuries.
• ICE agents were attempting to locate Peruvian national Friedrich Castillo-Ormeno, who had a final order of removal.
• Cruz Garcia was arrested and ordered detained following his initial federal court appearance.