Venezuelan Facing Federal Assault Charges After ICE Traffic Stop A Venezuelan man accused of assaulting an ICE officer during a high‑speed chase faces up to 20 years in prison, sparking protests and controversy over immigration enforcement. A Venezuelan national, Wilber Rafael Garces Perez, who had recently been struck down by an Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) officer with a handgun after a high‑speed chase, now confronts federal criminal charges for assaulting a federal officer. Federal Charges After ICE PursuitThe 28‑year‑old faced a U.S. Magistrate Judge in Austin, where he was formally informed that he faced one count of assaulting a federal officer, a charge that carries the possibility of a 20‑year sentence should he be convicted. Information from the U.S. Attorney's Office for the Western District of Texas explains that Garces Perez allegedly struck an ICE agent with his vehicle and during the pursuit tried to strike an officer's car with the same vehicle.The incident began on September 20, when ICE's Enforcement and Removal Operations unit approached Garces Perez's vehicle for a routine traffic stop. ICE had identified that a federal immigration judge had issued a final order of removal against him, and the officers requested that he exit the vehicle and gear the car into park.According to the criminal complaint and body camera footage, Garces Perez provided his driver's license, but declined to comply with the officers' instructions, chose instead to drive away, and met the ICE agent's vehicle with a side‑mirror impact. The officer then fired his handgun at the moment he considered the suspect an immediate threat.Pursuit Allegations and Public ReactionThe complaint cites that Garces Perez pursued ICE through a residential and commercial area at high speed, attempting to hurl his vehicle at the pursuing officer, an act that forced the officer to use a firearm. Garces Perez denied the allegation that the officer had already activated emergency lights and claimed instead that the lights were turned on only after a collision with his vehicle.He stated he had politely asked the officer if he could pull into a parking spot but the officer allegedly "fired his gun," a claim unverified in the documents released. The case has already ignited public outcry, with protesters on the Texas border using the incident to rally against perceived immigration enforcement excesses. Some activists have pushed false rumors, arguing that Garces Perez possessed legal status at the time of the stop or that he was the victim of profiling.The mayor's office has called for a transparent investigation into the shooting and the subsequent criminal proceedings. The federal case is expected to move forward with a trial date set for early next year, keeping the 20‑year maximum sentence threshold in mind. In the meantime, ICE and the U.S. Attorney's Office remain committed to enforcing removal orders while upholding the rights of all individuals in their jurisdiction.