Jennifer Susan Cruz, a U.S. citizen, was sentenced to 15 months in prison on October 14 for assaulting a U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) officer, a U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) officer, and a Florida Highway Patrol trooper during a traffic stop in Jacksonville, Florida on January 13.
According to the U.S. Attorney's Office for the Middle District of Florida, the incident occurred during a joint immigration enforcement operation. When officers stopped the vehicle, Cruz got out of her car and punched the Florida Highway Patrol trooper in the face. As officers restrained and arrested her, she continued resisting by kicking and screaming, then kicked the ICE officer and CBP officer after being placed in the back of a law enforcement vehicle.
In addition to the 15-month prison sentence, Cruz was sentenced to two years of supervised release and ordered to pay $5,592 in restitution. The case was investigated by ICE's Homeland Security Investigations and Enforcement and Removal Operations divisions, along with the Florida Highway Patrol.