ICE searching for suspect accused of ramming agents in Lewisville

DALLAS - Federal officials are searching for a suspect who reportedly injured three ICE agents during a traffic stop and chase in Lewisville.

What we know:

Federal officials with U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement and the Department of Justice held a news conference on Thursday morning to release information on 28-year-old Jerson Lopez-Sanchez.

The agency said Lopez-Sanchez is a Honduran native who is wanted for three counts of assaulting federal immigration agents.

Dig deeper:

The incident happened on the morning of Dec. 1 while ICE agents from Oklahoma City were patrolling in the Dallas area.

Federal officials, when asked by FOX 4, said Lopez-Sanchez did not have a criminal record or pending charges. But according to the indictment, the agents requested a routine check of the registration on a Chevrolet Silverado that they spotted with construction racks. It was carrying five people.

The search led agents to discover that Lopez-Sanchez, who was the driver and owner of the truck, had no legal entries or applications for lawful status. In other words, he was here illegally.

They stopped him on Interstate 35E near FM 3040. And after pulling over, federal officials said Lopez-Sanches suddenly put his truck into reverse and rammed an ICE SUV before speeding away. One agent had his leg out of the SUV at the time and was injured.

The other agents began chasing Lopez-Sanchez with their lights and sirens on. Lopez-Sanchez allegedly rammed an ICE Chrysler minivan during the chase, injuring two more agents.

Lopez-Sanchez eventually stopped on East Valley Ridge Boulevard in Lewisville. That’s when federal officials said he and the other occupants of his truck fled on foot.

The agents captured three people who tried to run, but Lopez-Sanchez was not one of them. He’s still wanted by the FBI.

What they're saying:

"Vehicles in the hands of individuals who intend to obstruct or evade law enforcement are deadly weapons. When someone runs down an ICE officer or any federal law enforcement officer or local law enforcement officer, those deadly weapons act as battering rams. It is a violent attack, and it will not be tolerated," said Jake Combs, the United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Texas.

Combs said in this case, the ramming was so violent that it deployed all the airbags in the minivan and 911 was called to assist the passenger in that vehicle.

Jeremy Right, the assistant special agent in charge for FBI Dallas, said this is just the latest example of the increasing dangers that law enforcement face daily.

When asked about the timing of the news conference in relation to what’s been happening in Minnesota, Combs said the search for Lopez-Sanchez has been ongoing for the past two months. But the indictments just came down on Wednesday.

"And he’s not been located yet. And we determined that now was the time to go public with this information in an effort to try and further this investigation," he said.

Local perspective:

FOX 4 spoke to Robert Cerna, the acting director of ICE's Dallas field office. He said since October, ICE Dallas has arrested more than 10,000 people. About 80% of them have a criminal conviction or they've been charged with a criminal offense. Some have final orders for removal. 

"We're trying to make the community safer," he said. "You know, all the acts that we're doing, they're all lawful acts."

When asked, Cerna would not describe what ICE Dallas' working relationship is with the Dallas Police Department. He only said ICE Dallas has a "great working relationship" with all of its partners in more than 200 counties it covers.

Earlier this week, the Dallas police chief refused to release monthly data requested by its police oversight board regarding how often Dallas officers assist ICE. The chief cited officer safety concerns.

What we don't know:

The federal officials would not go into detail about the severity of the agents’ injuries. The officer in the front-passenger seat of the minivan suffered injuries to his knees and neck, according to the indictment.

They also would not answer questions about the other people who ran from Lopez-Sanchez's truck. However, the indictment mentions that two of them identified Lopez-Sanchez as the driver.

What you can do:

Lopez-Sanchez is described as a Hispanic male who is about 5 feet 8 inches tall and about 165 pounds. He has black hair and brown eyes.

He’s believed to be still in the area and may be working as a roofer.

Anyone with information about him is asked to call the FBI at 1-800-225-5324 or email tip@tips.fbi.gov.

There is a $15,000 reward available for information that leads to his arrest.