The U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) arrested Cuban immigrant Robyn Argote Brooks on Tuesday, who rammed his car into vehicles and federal agents in San Antonio, Texas, authorities reported.
The Department of Homeland Security revealed today that Argote "used his vehicle as a weapon" against federal law enforcement agents and rammed two ICE vehicles with his car on January 13.
According to the statement, ICE agents conducted a "selective" traffic stop to apprehend Argote, but the Cuban refused to comply with the authorities' orders to exit his vehicle.
DHS stated that, in an attempt to evade arrest, the undocumented immigrant put his car in reverse and backed up at full speed, "almost hitting an ICE agent."
Argote evaded the officer but crashed into a vehicle that was behind his; then, he accelerated and collided with a second ICE vehicle, injuring the officer in the front seat, according to authorities. After that, he was arrested by the officers.
A video shared on the social media platform X by journalist Brooke Taylor from Fox News shows the entire operation by ICE to apprehend the Cuban man. After Argote crashed into the federal vehicles, the officers broke the window of his car, forcibly extracted him while one aimed a weapon at him; they threw him onto the pavement, with two agents immobilizing him by pressing their knees on his back, while he remained face down.
Argote did not resist, and when he was on the ground, he could be heard saying, “My God.” Then they lift him up and one officer speaks to him, while another, in Spanish, asks if he needs medical assistance, before they take him away. In the footage, no injured ICE agents are seen. The entire scene was reportedly recorded by television cameras.
Following the incident, the Deputy Secretary of Homeland Security, Tricia McLaughlin, stated: “One of our officers was injured in this vehicle attack, and we pray for him, his health, and his family,” while blaming “sanctuary” politicians for “encouraging undocumented immigrants to evade arrest,” which, she argued, has “created an environment that incites violence against our law enforcement.”
The official stated that there has been a 3,200% increase in vehicle attacks against ICE agents and over a 1,300% rise in assaults.
According to data from the DHS, between January 21, 2025, and January 7 of this year, ICE agents experienced 66 vehicle attacks, compared to just two during the same period the previous year.
McLaughlin cited the recent statements of Secretary Kristi Noem, who warned that “anyone who attacks law enforcement will be prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law.”
Robyn Argote Brooks arrived in the U.S. in 2024 through the CBP One program, established by the administration of President Joe Biden in January 2023, to allow migrants to manage asylum appointments online.
The DHS described the implementation as "disastrous," as it allowed over a million foreigners without criminal records to enter the country, according to their figures.
The arrest of the Cuban takes place in a context of heightened tension, following the incident on January 7 in the city of Minneapolis, where an ICE agent shot 37-year-old U.S. citizen Renee Nicole Good in the head, resulting in her immediate death. According to the government's account of the events, the officer acted in self-defense when the woman allegedly attempted to run him over with her vehicle.
The tragic event sparked outrage and mobilizations in various parts of the city. In the following days, the authorities responded with an increased presence of agents and intensified immigration operations, which has heightened public discontent and led to violent arrests, mass protests, and confrontations with law enforcement.
President Donald Trump threatened on Thursday to invoke the Insurrection Act of 1807 and deploy federal troops to Minneapolis to contain the protests sparked by recent shootings involving ICE agents.
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