JACKSONVILLE, Fla. — A Jacksonville woman pleaded guilty to assaulting officers during a federal immigration operation, prosecutors said.
Jennifer Susan Cruz, 41, faces up to 20 years in federal prison, according to the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Florida.
A sentencing date has not been set.
According to court documents, federal immigration officers, assisted by the Florida Highway Patrol, were conducting an operation in Jacksonville on Jan. 13 to locate and arrest people who were illegally present in the United States.
Prosecutors said Cruz drove by and recorded on her cellphone as an FHP trooper stopped a vehicle for a traffic infraction.
Cruz later parked near the traffic stop and yelled at the trooper while continuing to record, according to court documents.
Prosecutors said another trooper approached Cruz about using her cellphone while driving.
During the encounter, Cruz showed the trooper a photo of her driver’s license on her cellphone, according to court documents.
A records check showed Cruz’s license had been suspended since June 17, 2025, prosecutors said.
Because Cruz was not legally allowed to drive, the trooper requested a tow truck to impound her vehicle, according to court documents.
Prosecutors said Cruz drove away while the trooper was waiting for the tow truck.
Troopers activated their lights and sirens and boxed in Cruz’s vehicle, according to court documents.
After the vehicle was stopped, prosecutors said Cruz exited the vehicle but repeatedly refused to surrender her keys.
When a trooper tried to retrieve the keys, Cruz punched the trooper in the face, according to court documents.
Prosecutors said Cruz resisted arrest and tried to strike and kick officers as they attempted to take her into custody.
As officers tried to place Cruz in an FHP patrol vehicle, she kicked at an ICE officer, a Customs and Border Protection agent and the trooper who conducted the traffic stop, according to court documents.
Prosecutors said Cruz struck the CBP agent and ICE officer. The ICE officer’s left hand was injured.
The case was investigated by Homeland Security Investigations, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Enforcement and Removal Operations, and the Florida Highway Patrol.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Arnold B. Corsmeier is prosecuting the case.
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