Venezuelan man sentenced to 8 months in federal custody after biting ICE officer during 2025 arrest
Key Takeaways
- Robert Antonio Bastardo Llovera pleaded guilty to assaulting a federal officer and was sentenced to 8 months and 2 days in federal custody.
- The bite occurred during a five‑minute struggle with U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) officers on July 15, 2025; he had been ordered removed in absentia on June 10, 2025.
- Prosecutors say the charge carries a maximum penalty of 20 years and a $250,000 fine; federal authorities released an image allegedly showing the agent’s injury.
- The case illustrates how criminal prosecutions stemming from enforcement encounters can lead to federal prison time and almost certain removal for noncitizens.
Case details
Robert Antonio Bastardo Llovera, 32, was sentenced after pleading guilty March 3, 2026 to a federal charge of assaulting a federal officer. Prosecutors say the July 15, 2025 arrest near Mission Bay in San Diego culminated in a five‑minute struggle and a bite to an ICE deportation officer’s forearm. It has been reported that the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of California released an image allegedly showing the injury. The office noted the statutory maximum for the offense includes up to 20 years in prison and a $250,000 fine, though the eventual sentence was substantially lower.
Legal and immigration consequences
The charge was prosecuted as an assault on a federal officer—an offense federal prosecutors frequently treat seriously because it involves violence against law enforcement personnel. ICE (U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement) carries out civil immigration arrests and removals, and Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) is the investigative arm of DHS (Department of Homeland Security) that often works on related cases; officials quoted the HSI acting special agent in charge. Bastardo had been living in the United States without legal immigration status and, according to prosecutors, had been “ordered removed” by an immigration judge on June 10, 2025 after failing to appear for court—an in‑absentia removal order that itself triggers deportation processes.
What this means for people going through immigration now
For noncitizens, this case underscores a key reality: resisting an immigration arrest or committing violence during an enforcement encounter can trigger criminal prosecution in federal court as well as immigration consequences. A federal guilty plea typically results in incarceration in federal custody (not just immigration detention) and will almost always lead to removal proceedings or immediate deportation once the sentence is served. For people facing immigration court, failing to appear can produce an in‑absentia order that hastens removal; for those detained or arrested, the practical takeaway is to seek counsel promptly, comply with lawful commands during encounters with officers, and address missed court dates through legal channels when possible.
Source: Original Article