ICE: Convicted felon at large after officer attack in Black Forest

(EL PASO COUNTY, Colo.) — U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) has confirmed the arrest of one of the suspects who was involved in the alleged attack on ICE officers that occurred in Black Forest on Thursday, July 31.

At around 2 p.m. on Thursday, ICE arrested Francisco Zapata-Pacheco, the passenger in the car that attempted to ram into ICE officers earlier that day. According to ICE, Zapata-Pacheco is cooperating with law enforcement and will remain in custody pending immigration and criminal proceedings.


ICE: Suspects on the run after trying to ram officers with car, officers open fire

The second suspect, identified as Jose Mendez-Chavez, has not yet been captured. According to ICE, Mendez-Chaves, who is suspected of being in the U.S. illegally from Mexico, is a convicted child abuser, who also has convictions for domestic violence and illegal re-entry on multiple occasions.

Jose Mendez-Chavez. Courtesy: ICE.

“He knows he’s not supposed to be here, since we’ve removed him six times previously,” ICE wrote.

The incident prompted a shelter-in-place for a neighborhood in Black Forest that lasted several hours. Multiple agencies, including the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) and the El Paso County Sheriff’s Office, responded to the scene.

“…Our brave ICE law enforcement officers are facing an 830% increase in assaults against them as they carry out operations due to the misinformation activist groups spread,” ICE wrote. “Mendez was not an ‘innocent victim’ he is an abuser who plays the system and is now wanted for assault on a federal officer.”

The investigation remains active and ongoing.

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