Federal prosecutors in New Jersey have charged Eduardo Cruz Garcia, 39, in connection with an incident this week in which a van struck an Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) officer during a traffic stop. The incident occurred on Monday morning as ICE agents attempted to detain a suspect.

According to a criminal complaint filed Tuesday in federal court, agents approached the white van near a busy intersection in New Jersey and asked the occupants to lower their windows. Mr. Cruz Garcia, who was driving, refused and subsequently drove off, striking an ICE agent standing beside the vehicle. The complaint stated that the officer was briefly caught between the van and an ICE vehicle, sustaining injuries to his shin and thigh. Images included in the court documents showed visible bruising and scrapes on the agent. The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) reported that the ICE officer discharged his firearm during the incident.

Mr. Cruz Garcia was apprehended the following day and faces charges of assaulting and injuring a federal officer. Federal authorities said he is from Mexico and is in the United States without legal authorization. Benjamin West, his attorney, confirmed that Mr. Cruz Garcia was shot in the back of his right arm during the encounter and that the ICE agent fired three shots.

U.S. Attorney Robert Frazer described Mr. Cruz Garcia as having “weaponized his vehicle” against the officer, emphasizing the need for law enforcement to perform their duties without fear of violence.

Initial reports created confusion over the identity of the van’s driver. DHS statements indicated that agents were conducting a targeted stop related to a separate individual, Friedrich Castillo Ormeño, a 30-year-old Peruvian immigrant. However, Mr. Castillo Ormeño, who is currently in Peru, denied involvement, stating that he had self-deported with his family in March following an immigration judge’s order. He provided documentation of his departure and said that he had received a monetary reward from DHS for voluntarily leaving the United States.

Federal agents reportedly appeared at Mr. Castillo Ormeño’s last known residence in Manahawkin, New Jersey, where they observed a person resembling him entering a van. Officials have not clarified why agents were pursuing Mr. Castillo Ormeño after he had been incentivized to leave the country. Mr. Castillo Ormeño acknowledged being acquainted with Mr. Cruz Garcia through a family connection.

According to body camera footage referenced in court documents, ICE agents wearing identifying vests surrounded the van and attempted to communicate with its occupants. After the driver failed to comply, the vehicle moved forward and made contact with the ICE officer. The DHS confirmed that the officer discharged his weapon, with the gunfire reportedly breaking the van’s rear window as it fled the scene.

Experts on use-of-force protocols noted that shooting at a moving vehicle is generally considered a hazardous tactic, potentially endangering bystanders and causing loss of vehicle control. Marc E. Brown, a former federal law enforcement instructor, said such action is not typically standard training and carries significant risks.

DHS policy, outlined in a 2023 memo, restricts shooting at moving vehicles solely to cases where officers have a reasonable belief that the driver poses an imminent threat of serious harm or death. Agency policies and training have drawn increased scrutiny following the fatal shooting of Renee Good in Minneapolis, which raised questions about the appropriateness of lethal force when vehicles are involved.