A law enforcement source told Denver7 that ICE was carrying out a targeted operation at a construction site in Black Forest, north of Colorado Springs, when the incident took place.
One of the two suspects accused of ramming a vehicle into U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents near Colorado Springs on Thursday afternoon has been arrested, according to a federal agency spokesperson.
ICE spokespersons said Francisco Zapata-Pacheco was arrested around 2 p.m. on Thursday. They identified him as the passenger in the vehicle used in the attack and stated he is cooperating with law enforcement.
Zapata-Pacheco will remain in ICE custody while immigration and criminal proceedings are underway.
The second suspect, Jose Mendez-Chavez, is still at large. ICE identified Mendez-Chavez as a Mexican national with prior convictions for child abuse, domestic violence, and at least six illegal entries into the United States.
In their announcement of the arrest, ICE strongly criticized the Colorado Rapid Response Network, calling the group “despicable” for allegedly defending a suspect “who has abused children and attempted to injure our officers.”
A law enforcement source told Denver7 that no injuries occurred during the incident at the construction site.
ICE officials emphasized that “Mendez was not an ‘innocent victim’—he is an abuser who manipulates the system and is now wanted for assaulting a federal officer.”
The arrest came nearly 24 hours after ICE told Denver7 via email that they were still searching for two suspects—even though one had already been taken into custody.
Denver7 is seeking clarification from ICE regarding the discrepancy between the two statement.
Katie is a senior who has been on staff for three years. Her favorite type of stories to write is reviews and features. Katie’s favorite ice cream flavor is strawberry.
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