A 54-year-old man who authorities say is a Cuban national was charged with three counts of assault on a federal officer after authorities say he struck two ICE officers with his vehicle and bit one on the hand, drawing blood, U.S. Attorney Daniel N. Rosen announced on Monday.

Juan Carlos Rodriguez Romero was indicted and charged with two counts of assault on a federal officer with a dangerous weapon and one count of assault on a federal officer, Rosen’s office said in a press release.

The following details were released in a statement from Department of Homeland Security spokesperson Tricia McLaughlin at the time of the arrest:

On the morning of Dec. 21, ICE officers said they saw Romero, who they say is illegally in the country from Cuba. After he got into a white SUV near Westminster Street in St. Paul, they did a vehicle stop. When they approached and identified themselves as ICE law enforcement, they say that Romero was “noncompliant and refused to roll down his window, causing officers to warn that they would have to break the window if he continued to not comply with lawful orders.”

“In response, Romero drove off, striking one of the officers in his attempt to escape. ICE officers gave chase, and, after a brief pursuit, Romero pulled into a parking lot near his residence and struck two parked vehicles. Officers again stopped Romero’s vehicle and commanded him to exit,” the statement said.

The man began ramming his car into an ICE vehicle and struck a second ICE officer, the statement said. That officer fired two rounds from his weapon and the man drove off again.

No one was struck by any of the shots fired, the statement said.

The U.S. Attorney General’s press release said that when ICE officers arrested Romero, he bit one of the officers, drawing blood. The ICE officers were transported to the hospital. Injuries included bruised ribs, a dislocated finger and a bite wound, Rosen’s office said.

Romero was admitted into the United States in 2024 by the Biden administration through the CBP One app, according to ICE. The CBP One app was a Customs and Border Protection tool designed to open legal pathways to enter the United States and discourage illegal border crossings. The Trump administration canceled the program last year and notified asylum seekers already in the country that they should leave immediately.

Romero remains in custody until a detention hearing, the U.S. Attorney’s office said. If he is convicted, he faces up to 20 years in prison.

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