TALLAHASSEE, Fla. — Florida Attorney General James Uthmeier announced the arrest of a Mexican national accused of attacking federal immigration officers during an enforcement operation in Fort Myers.
Maria Del Carmen Negrete Raya, 39, was arrested on three counts of battery on a law enforcement officer following an Aug. 19 incident involving officers with U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Enforcement and Removal Operations, according to the Attorney General’s Office.
“Florida will not tolerate anyone—especially those who shouldn’t even be in our country—attacking our law enforcement officers,” Uthmeier said. “Our federal partners are here to enforce the law and defend America’s sovereignty. Those who assault them will face the full weight of the law.”
According to state officials, ICE officers were conducting an immigration enforcement operation in Fort Myers when they attempted to stop a vehicle registered to a non-U.S. citizen. After the occupants fled, authorities allege Negrete Raya confronted the officers and charged toward their vehicle in an attempt to enter it.
Officials said Negrete Raya then kicked and punched officers, including allegedly striking one officer in the groin. The officer sustained minor injuries, according to the Attorney General’s Office. ICE officers later disengaged in an effort to de-escalate the encounter.
State officials said Negrete Raya entered the United States without inspection and filed an asylum application in 2023. The Attorney General’s Office said she is subject to removal because she is present in the country without admission or parole.
Negrete Raya faces three counts of battery on a law enforcement officer under Florida law. According to the Attorney General’s Office, the charges could be reclassified as second-degree felonies based on her immigration status, making each count punishable by up to 15 years in prison.
The case was initiated by Florida’s Office of Statewide Prosecution, which also assisted with the investigation and provided legal counsel. The Florida Highway Patrol Bureau of Criminal Investigations and Intelligence conducted the investigation in coordination with ICE Enforcement and Removal Operations in Fort Myers and the Lee County Sheriff’s Office.
The charges are allegations, and Negrete Raya is presumed innocent unless proven guilty in court.
