Overview
- The suspect was identified as Salvadoran national Walter Leonel Perez Rodriguez, whom officials say has been deported twice and has prior convictions including sexual assault of a child and multiple DUIs.
- The officer sustained severe facial burns and a deep laceration that required 13 stitches, according to DHS.
- Authorities say Perez Rodriguez is in ICE custody and has been referred for federal prosecution for illegal reentry and assaulting a federal officer.
- DHS and ICE leaders cited a sharp rise in assaults on Homeland Security personnel as they defended ongoing enforcement efforts.
- ICE Houston recently reported a 10-day operation from Oct. 22–31 that resulted in 1,505 arrests, including gang members, aggravated felons and sexual predators, with nearly one-third already ordered removed by an immigration judge.