- Jacob Daniel Terrazas was sentenced to ten months for assaulting a Border Patrol agent with cinder blocks.
- The incident occurred during a June twenty twenty-five protest near a Homeland Security facility in California.
- Prosecutors have secured forty guilty pleas involving assaults on federal immigration agents as of mid-twenty twenty-six.
Jacob Daniel Terrazas, 30, will serve 10 months in federal prison after pleading guilty to striking a federal officer with a piece of broken cinder block during a June 7, 2025 protest in Paramount, California. A chunk hit a Border Patrol agent in the right shin.
U.S. District Judge Percy Anderson also ordered Terrazas to pay a $100 fine. The judge imposed the sentence on Monday, July 20, 2026. Terrazas remained in federal custody after the hearing.
The confrontation unfolded near a Homeland Security Investigations facility, where demonstrators threw rocks and chunks of concrete at federal personnel. The protest lasted approximately three hours.
The injured agent suffered bleeding and bruising, prosecutors said. The agent briefly withdrew for medical treatment before returning to the line. Rocks struck a second agent, who did not suffer injuries.
Terrazas repeatedly moved toward the federal line
Prosecutors said Terrazas repeatedly approached agents while wearing a black mask and carrying a makeshift shield. He used nearby trees for cover before throwing chunks of broken cinder block and rocks.
Federal personnel used pepper balls, described as less-lethal force, to disperse the crowd after protesters began hurling hard objects. A video of Terrazas’s arrest and actions during the protest later circulated through the U.S. Attorney’s Office’s social media accounts.
The demonstration followed a large-scale Immigration and Customs Enforcement operation in Los Angeles the previous day. Protesters gathered near the HSI facility as federal personnel protected government property and confronted the crowd.
Bill Essayli, the First Assistant U.S. Attorney, said the sentence reflected a warning to people who attack federal agents.
“We were clear that if you attack federal agents you will be facing time in federal prison. This sentence delivers on that promise to hold those accountable who dare to interfere or attack federal agents. Don’t do it.”
Essayli issued the statement on July 22, 2026. His office has filed more than 100 cases in Los Angeles against protesters accused of assaulting or impeding immigration agents.
The plea reduced a felony case carrying a 20-year maximum
A federal grand jury indictment began the case in August 2025. Terrazas initially faced a felony charge carrying a statutory maximum of 20 years in prison, then entered a plea agreement for a lesser misdemeanor offense.
He pleaded guilty on January 20, 2026, to one count of simple assault on a federal officer under 18 U.S.C. § 111(a)(1). The sentence followed the misdemeanor conviction.
| Case detail | Record |
|---|---|
| Defendant | Jacob Daniel Terrazas, 30, of Paramount, California |
| Sentence | 10 months in federal prison and a $100 fine |
| Sentencing judge | U.S. District Judge Percy Anderson |
| Guilty plea | January 20, 2026 |
| Offense | One misdemeanor count under 18 U.S.C. § 111(a)(1) |
| Protest date | June 7, 2025 |
The case formed part of a larger federal prosecution effort. As of June 2026, prosecutors had secured 40 guilty pleas in cases involving alleged assaults or interference with immigration agents.
Nearly every case that proceeded to a jury trial ended with prosecutors losing, according to the case figures released by federal prosecutors. Essayli has emphasized a zero-tolerance approach to violence against federal employees.
Prosecutors had warned of prison time after the indictment
Essayli served as Acting U.S. Attorney when the indictment was announced. On August 7, 2025, he said officials would pursue prison penalties for people who injure officers enforcing immigration law.
“We will not stand by while our brave federal agents and officers get hurt. If you injure an official enforcing immigration law, you may serve 20 years in a federal prison cell. It's just not worth it.”
Terrazas ultimately avoided the felony charge and its statutory maximum through the plea agreement. His sentence still requires federal imprisonment and payment of the fine ordered by Anderson.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys Eric Mackie and Brenda Galván handled the prosecution. Ciaran McEvoy served as the U.S. Attorney’s Office public information officer.
The Justice Department announced the sentence on July 22, 2026, two days after the hearing. Terrazas remained in federal custody as he began the 10-month term.
