A Mexican national, Cristian Geovanni Rojas Benitez, 37, was sentenced to 14 months in prison for assaulting a federal agent with a vehicle. The sentencing took place in Philadelphia before United States District Judge Gail A. Weilheimer. United States Attorney David Metcalf announced the sentence.
Rojas Benitez had overstayed his visa and remained illegally in the United States. He was charged by indictment in August of last year and pleaded guilty in October. During his plea hearing, he admitted to intentionally driving his pickup truck toward a federal agent.
According to court documents and statements, on June 23, 2025, agents from Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) and other federal officers were attempting to locate Rojas Benitez after he violated conditions of his immigration release. These violations included a 2024 conviction in Lancaster County Court of Common Pleas for false identification to law enforcement, operating a vehicle without ignition interlock, knowing and intentional possession of a controlled substance, and driving an unregistered vehicle.
Federal officers conducted surveillance at a residence in Downingtown, Pennsylvania based on information they received. At around 8:30 a.m., a man matching Rojas Benitez’s description left the residence and entered a pickup truck. As he attempted to drive away, officers stopped the vehicle.
Rojas Benitez did not comply with commands to exit the vehicle or roll down his window. An HSI agent moved to the front of the vehicle for visibility while officers warned that they would break the window if he did not comply. After repeated warnings went unheeded, one officer broke the rear driver’s side window.
Rojas Benitez then drove over the sidewalk toward the HSI agent, who had to push off the truck and jump out of its path to avoid being struck. The defendant also narrowly missed hitting a passing school bus before fleeing the state.
He was later located by the U.S. Marshals Service on July 24, 2025, in Washington, D.C.
“This case is part of Operation Take Back America, a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations (TCOs), and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime,” according to officials.
The investigation involved HSI, Immigration and Customs Enforcement – Enforcement and Removal Operations, and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives.
