MANAHAWKIN, NJ – Federal prosecutors have charged a Mexican national after an immigration officer was struck by a vehicle during a targeted traffic stop in Ocean County. The incident has drawn intense scrutiny after it was revealed the original target of the operation had self-deported months prior.
The Traffic Stop and Assault
The incident occurred on Monday in Manahawkin when Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) officers attempted to pull over a white van.
According to a federal complaint, the driver refused to roll down his window and fled the scene, striking an ICE officer. The injured officer fired three shots, striking the driver in the arm, before being hospitalized with leg injuries.
Federal authorities have officially charged 39-year-old Eduardo Cruz Garcia, a Mexican national, with weaponizing his vehicle to assault a federal officer. He is currently in the custody of the U.S. Marshals Service.
The Identity Confusion
Controversy arose after ICE initially released a statement identifying the target of the operation as Friedrich Castillo-Ormeno, a Peruvian immigrant with a final deportation order.
However, records show Castillo-Ormeno and his family had already complied with the law and self-deported to Peru on March 2—nearly three months before the New Jersey incident.
Speaking from Peru, Castillo-Ormeno expressed shock that his name was tied to a violent crime in the U.S., fearing it would tarnish his reputation and affect his family’s future immigration prospects.
DHS Responds to the Error
The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) later clarified that officers were executing an enforcement operation at Castillo-Ormeno’s last known New Jersey address when they spotted Cruz Garcia, who they claimed “looked similar to the target,” getting into a van.
Ironically, Castillo-Ormeno had participated in the federal CBP Home program, which provides monetary incentives to individuals who voluntarily leave the country. Authorities had verified his presence in Peru in late April to issue a $2,600 payment.
DHS stated they stand by their original timeline but confirmed they never accused Castillo-Ormeno of being the driver who struck the officer.
