Illegal Alien Sentenced for Destroying Government Property After Ramming Law Enforcement Vehicles

Baltimore, Maryland - Today, an illegal alien from Portugal pled guilty and received a federal sentence for destroying government property.

Magistrate Judge Charles Austin sentenced Tiago Alexandre Sousa-Martins, 30, to time served - totaling 103 days - for using his van to ram government vehicles while attempting to escape immigration officers. Judge Austin also ordered Sousa-Martins to pay $1,000 in restitution.

Kelly O. Hayes, U.S. Attorney for the District of Maryland, announced the guilty plea and sentence with Special Agent in Charge Jimmy Paul, FBI Baltimore Field Office, and Acting Field Office Director Vernon Liggins, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE-ERO) - Baltimore Field Office.

According to the guilty plea, on December 24, 2025, ICE officers conducted a traffic stop on Sousa-Martins's vehicle. The officers boxed in Sousa-Martins's vehicle by positioning their government vehicles behind, in front, and to the side of his vehicle. After officers exited their vehicles, and identified themselves, they directed Sousa-Martins to exit his vehicle, but he refused.

Officers then broke the Sousa-Martins's driver's side window and attempted to remove him. In response, Sousa-Martins placed his vehicle in drive, drove a short distance forward, and then drove back and forth between the government vehicles before backing into the government vehicle directly behind him. After the initial collision, Sousa-Martins continued reversing his vehicle, pushing the government vehicle parked directly behind him back into another government vehicle. The collisions caused damage to both government vehicles.

This case is part of Operation Take Back America, a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations (TCOs), and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime.

U.S. Attorney Hayes commended the FBI and ICE-ERO for their work in this investigation.

For more information about the Maryland U.S. Attorney's Office, its priorities, and resources available to help the community, visit justice.gov/usao-mdLinks to other government and non-government sites will typically appear with the "external link" icon to indicate that you are leaving the Department of Justice website when you click the link..

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