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A federal jury found Robyn Argote-Brooks, a 25-year-old Cuban from Havana, guilty last Friday on two counts of destruction of government property for ramming ICE vehicles in San Antonio, Texas, although he was acquitted of the charge of assaulting a federal officer, the most serious of all the charges against him.
The incident occurred on January 13 in the parking lot of a Walmart in north San Antonio, when agents from Immigration and Customs Enforcement attempted to arrest Argote-Brooks while he was working as a delivery driver.
According to the prosecution, the accused refused to comply with orders, attempted to flee, and collided with two official vehicles—among them a Nissan Pathfinder SUV—causing damages estimated at $4,847 and injuring an officer who was taken to a local hospital.
Everything was recorded on video and presented as evidence during the trial, which lasted three days and concluded with just two and a half hours of deliberation, according to Telemundo San Antonio.
The verdict acquitted Argote-Brooks of the charge of assaulting a federal officer with a deadly or dangerous weapon, which could have resulted in up to 20 years in prison.
However, federal judge Fred Biery ordered that he remain in custody both due to the conviction and a probable immigration hold.
The defense argued that Argote-Brooks does not speak English, did not receive instructions in Spanish at the time of the incident, and was unaware of the reason for the arrest.
During the trial, the defendant declared that he "acted out of panic when he felt surrounded by people who, he said, did not identify themselves and demanded that he get out of his vehicle, fearing he would be kidnapped."
The defense also presented evidence that Argote-Brooks was in the process of applying for permanent residency and renewing his work permit.
Argote-Brooks had entered the United States in October 2024 through the port of Laredo, Texas, via the CBP One program of the Biden administration, which granted him a humanitarian parole permit.
The Department of Homeland Security canceled that benefit on April 18, 2025, as part of the Trump administration's efforts to reverse the immigration policies of the previous government.
Argote-Brooks claims he was not notified of that revocation, a point that the defense used to contextualize his behavior during the operation.
The case took a significant turn since its beginning, when the video of the incident released by ICE showed agents pointing their guns at the defendant's vehicle, sparking debate about whether he acted out of panic or with criminal intent.
The Department of Justice framed the conviction within the "Operation Recover America," described as "a nationwide initiative that mobilizes all resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the complete elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations, and protect our communities from perpetrators of violent crimes," reported the local broadcaster KTSA.
The investigation was conducted by the National Security Investigations Office of ICE with assistance from the Office of Control and Deportation, and the case is one of the first to go to trial in the context of Trump's new immigration policy.
Each charge of destruction of government property carries a maximum penalty of up to 10 years in prison, and the sentencing is scheduled for September 1, 2026 before Judge Biery.
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