Florida authorities have arrested a 39-year-old Mexican national on felony battery charges after she allegedly attacked federal immigration agents during an enforcement stop in Fort Myers.
State officials identified the suspect as Maria Del Carmen Negrete Raya. According to investigators, officers with U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) Enforcement and Removal Operations (ERO) were conducting an operation in Fort Myers on August 19, 2026, when they attempted to stop a vehicle registered to a non-U.S. citizen.
Authorities reported that the people inside the vehicle fled the scene. Negrete Raya then confronted the agents, charged toward their vehicle in an attempt to get inside, and physically assaulted them by punching and kicking.
One officer was struck in the groin and sustained minor injuries. ICE agents chose to disengage from the altercation to de-escalate the situation.
Negrete Raya, who authorities say entered the United States without ‘inspection’ and later filed an asylum application in 2023, is currently subject to removal proceedings as an “individual present in the country without admission or parole.”
Following the incident, Negrete Raya was booked on three counts of battery on a law enforcement officer. Under Florida law, those charges are subject to reclassification as second-degree felonies based on her status as an illegal immigrant, carrying a potential penalty of up to 15 years in state prison per count.
“Florida will not tolerate anyone—especially those who shouldn’t even be in our country—attacking our law enforcement officers,” Florida Attorney General James Uthmeier said in a statement. “Our federal partners are here to enforce the law and defend America’s sovereignty. Those who assault them will face the full weight of the law. Thanks to the Office of Statewide Prosecution, the Florida Highway Patrol, ICE, and the Lee County Sheriff’s Office for investigating this case and bringing this illegal alien in to face justice.”
The Office of Statewide Prosecution initiated the case and provided legal counsel and investigative assistance. The primary investigation was handled jointly by the Florida Highway Patrol’s Bureau of Criminal Investigations and Intelligence, Fort Myers ICE ERO, and the Lee County Sheriff’s Office.
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