By hannover-web.com In an interview regarding a troubling incident in Times Square, we discussed the events surrounding an attack on law enforcement officers earlier this year. The situation escalated when over a dozen undocumented immigrants assaulted two police officers, one of whom is of Asian descent. After multiple arrests by the New York Police Department (NYPD), an individual involved was apprehended by the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) while being transferred by the Department of Corrections (DOC) on the 16th.
The incident occurred in January when two police officers attempted to disperse a crowd blocking the road in Times Square. Tensions rose when one individual refused to comply with police directives, resulting in a violent confrontation that left Officer Ben Kurian and Officer Zunxu Tian injured. It was later revealed that the young assailants were all undocumented immigrants who had connections to the Venezuelan gang known as Tren de Aragua.
One of the suspects, Darwin Andres Gomez Izquiel, was previously arrested by the NYPD. After his release, he was immediately taken into custody by ICE. Authorities indicated that Izquiel first illegally entered the United States from Texas in August 2023, bypassing inspections by border patrol officers.
Officials explained that after receiving a swift deportation order, he withdrew his application to enter the U.S. and voluntarily returned to Mexico. However, in October 2023, border patrol agents discovered that Izquiel had re-entered the country illegally without inspection once again. He was issued a notice to appear in immigration court but was subsequently released, as officials noted, “There are no signs he complied with the directives.”
Following his arrest by the NYPD, Izquiel was convicted of assaulting a police officer. ICE’s criminal arrest officials reported that he was taken into custody immediately after his release from the city corrections facility. He is currently detained and awaiting deportation. Kenneth Genalo, the director of ICE’s Immigration Detention and Removal Operations, emphasized, “Izquiel is a criminal who poses a threat to employees, residents, and businesses in New York City. We will not allow our communities to become a haven for non-citizens who do not abide by the law.”
In related developments, ICE also apprehended two other suspects identified in the attack, confirming their affiliation with the Tren de Aragua international crime organization. The City Department of Corrections stated that they handled the federal enforcement request in accordance with local laws. Izquiel had previously been convicted of assaulting a police officer and sentenced to 364 days in jail in July.
