ICE Agent in Florida Charged with Battery by Strangulation

4 weeks ago 0

An agent from the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) division was arrested in Florida, accused of strangling a man in a confrontation linked to a driving dispute. The arrest information came from Newsweek and an official arrest affidavit.

Alexander Rivera Rios, aged 50, faces a battery by strangulation charge for an incident outside an Orlando apartment complex on August 26. Arrested by the Orlando Police Department, he was taken to the Orange County jail without bond, as noted in the affidavit. Whether he was on duty during the arrest was unclear. The Orange County Circuit Court has the case filed.

Sources close to the situation identified Rivera Rios as a deportation officer within ICE’s Enforcement and Removal Operations (ERO) division. He joined ICE in 2007, having previously served in New York before relocating to the Miami Field Office and working in the Orlando area.

A screenshot obtained by Newsweek suggested an ICE directory listing for Alexander Rivera, showing an ICE email along with abbreviations “DO” for deportation officer and “ERO,” referring to the Orlando Hub Office.

ICE’s ERO division is tasked with immigration arrests, detention, and removals. Newsweek inquired with the Department of Homeland Security and ICE about confirming Rivera Rios’ employment status and any administrative actions. Both agencies did not immediately respond.

The arrest affidavit did not explicitly name Rivera Rios’ employer as ICE, as their fields for occupation and business address were blank. At the publication time, he had no attorney listed.

Details of the Allegations

Officer Mark Knott from the Orlando police arrived at an apartment complex on Raleigh Street shortly before 9 a.m. Wednesday, responding to a disturbance report. According to the affidavit, Jailton Rodrigues informed police that he was upstairs in his apartment when his wife called, saying a man was “aggressively yelling” at her in the parking lot.

As Rodrigues went downstairs, he found Rivera Rios arguing with his wife. Approaching the driver’s side of his wife’s vehicle, Rodrigues attempted to calm Rivera Rios. The men continued to argue, standing close to each other.

Rodrigues stated he used his shoulder to push Rivera Rios backward, aiming to create distance. Rivera Rios reacted by choking Rodrigues with both hands, the police affidavit indicated.

Rodrigues reported his inability to breathe while in Rivera Rios’ grip. A maintenance worker intervened, pulling Rivera Rios away, stopping the encounter. The worker managed to record part of the altercation on a cellphone. Reviewing the footage, Knott observed the men arguing near the truck before Rodrigues used his shoulder to push away Rivera Rios.

“Rios forcefully grabs Rodrigues’ neck right after that shove,” Knott noted. The video showed Rodrigues raising his hands seconds later “as if submitting,” per the officer’s account. Rivera Rios eventually released Rodrigues, and others separated the pair.

Rodrigues complained of a sore neck and breathing issues during the scuffle. Knott noticed a fresh red mark on Rodrigues’ neck.

Rivera Rios’ Perspective

Rivera Rios provided a different version of events, telling the police he had argued verbally with Rodrigues’ wife about driving when entering the apartment complex. He claimed Rodrigues confronted and yelled at him, then pushed him backward.

Rivera Rios stated he grabbed Rodrigues in self-defense, trying to deter the situation from worsening, per the affidavit. After reviewing evidence and testimonies, Knott determined Rivera Rios as the primary aggressor. He used his body-worn camera during the response, as the affidavit stated.