ST. LOUIS – A Columbian national illegally present in the United States on Tuesday, Sept. 22, 2026, admitted assaulting a federal agent on Interstate 64 in April.
Jhon Fredy Blanco Rodriguez, 22, pleaded guilty Tuesday in U.S. District Court in St. Louis to one count of assaulting a federal agent. He admitted that on the morning of April 8, federal agents saw him leave a residence and enter a vehicle registered to a known illegal alien. U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement Agents conducted a traffic stop, during which they smelled a strong odor of marijuana.
Blanco Rodriguez admitted being in the country illegally and smoking marijuana. He was arrested and placed in the back of an ICE vehicle for transport to downtown St. Louis. During the drive, Blanco Rodriguez removed his seatbelt and tried to open the door. He then rolled onto his back and began kicking the right rear window until it buckled and bent outward. The deportation officer who was driving pulled to the shoulder of the interstate and tried to restrain Blanco Rodriguez, who kicked him repeatedly in the chest and arms. During the scuffle, the vehicle slowly rolled into a barrier on the highway. Blanco Rodriguez continued to fight with the officer until other officers arrived to subdue him.
Blanco Rodriguez is scheduled to be sentenced on December 16. The charge carries a potential penalty of up to a year in jail, a fine of up to $100,000, or both prison and a fine. He will also likely be deported.
The U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Kyle Bateman is prosecuting the case.
