Immigrant took Homeland Security agent's gun in Macomb Co. fight, feds say
Key Takeaways
- Prosecutors allege Venezuelan national Arnoldo Marquez-Pulido, 34, grabbed a federal agent’s gun during a struggle outside a Sam’s Club in Utica, Michigan.
- He is charged with assaulting, resisting, or impeding officers and unlawful firearm possession by a noncitizen without lawful status; the top count carries up to 20 years in prison if convicted.
- Two Homeland Security task force agents sustained injuries and were treated and released, according to a federal affidavit.
- Marquez-Pulido is detained ahead of a Friday hearing where a magistrate judge will decide if he remains jailed pending trial.
- The incident comes amid stepped-up immigration enforcement operations targeting unauthorized workers; defense counsel did not immediately comment.
What prosecutors allege
A federal criminal complaint filed in Detroit alleges that Arnoldo Marquez-Pulido fled a traffic stop, returned to a Sam’s Club in Utica on March 4, and fought with Homeland Security Task Force officers who tried to arrest him. During the struggle, he allegedly struck an agent and disengaged the holster of the agent’s Glock 19, removing the firearm before losing control of it as the agent flipped him over. The gun fell to the ground and was recovered by agents, according to an affidavit by Homeland Security Investigations (HSI). Two agents suffered contusions and abrasions and were treated at a hospital and released. The task force was reportedly following up on a tip about people working as delivery drivers at the store.
Charges, custody, and legal context
Marquez-Pulido is charged with assaulting, resisting, or impeding a federal officer and with being a noncitizen without lawful status in possession of a firearm. The assault charge can carry up to 20 years when it involves injury or a weapon. He is being held at the Calhoun County Correctional Facility and faces a detention hearing Friday, where a federal magistrate judge will decide whether to keep him jailed during the case. HSI is a component of ICE (U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement) within the Department of Homeland Security (DHS). U.S. Attorney Jerome Gorgon said in a statement that the allegations contradict claims that all undocumented immigrants are harmless. The defense attorney listed for Marquez-Pulido did not immediately respond to a request for comment. All allegations are unproven, and he is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.
Enforcement backdrop and implications for immigrants
According to the affidavit, Marquez-Pulido entered the U.S. in California in late April 2024, admitted he lacked authorization to be here, and was released with a notice to appear before an immigration judge in April 2025. There is no record he obtained lawful status, the filing states. The case highlights the risks for noncitizens targeted in workplace or tip-driven enforcement actions: what might start as a civil immigration matter can swiftly become a criminal case if agents allege flight or force. For immigrants and employers, that means increased scrutiny around unauthorized employment and a reminder that resisting arrest can trigger serious federal charges in addition to separate deportation proceedings.
Source: Original Article