ICE arrests illegally present Guatemalan national for assaulting a federal agent

PROVIDENCE, R.I. – U.S Immigration and Customs Enforcement arrested a previously deported Guatemalan national illegally present in the United States on a charge of assault, resisting, and impeding a law enforcement officer in the performance of official duties.

It is alleged that on April 30, Miguel Tamup-Tamup, aka Miguel Us-Tamup, 28, struggled with an ICE Enforcement and Removal Operations officer and ICE Homeland Security Investigations special agents as they attempted to apprehend him for being illegally present in the United States as authorized by a warrant for arrest of alien and an HSI special agent suffered serious injury.

“This individual’s aggressive actions during a lawful arrest led to serious injury to our special agents. The safety of our special agents and officers is paramount and those who resist and commit assault will find themselves facing serious criminal consequences,” said ICE HSI Special Agent in Charge Michael J. Krol.

According to the criminal complaint, an ICE ERO officer and HSI special agents stopped a car that Tamup was operating. After he refused to exit, law enforcement guided him out of the vehicle. While the agents attempted to place Tamup in handcuffs, he resisted, threw his upper body and shoulders against the agents, flailed his arms, and broke an agent’s hold. During the encounter, one of the HSI special agents fell to the ground and suffered a serious leg injury. Tamup fled as the injured agent was attended to by the other agents. The special agent received medical treatment and is expected to fully recover.

Charging documents show that Tamup came to ICE’s attention after his arrest on April 19 by the Providence Police Department on a charge of driving under the influence after his car allegedly collided with another vehicle. He was subsequently arraigned and released. Tamup’s fingerprints matched ICE fingerprint records associated with a person flagged as being in the United States illegally.

On May 15, ICE located Tamup at a Providence residence and took him into custody. He made an initial appearance before a U.S. Magistrate Judge and has been ordered detained.

A federal criminal complaint is merely an accusation. A defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.