JACKSONVILLE, Fla. — A 41-year-old Jacksonville woman was sentenced to 15 months in federal prison for assaulting officers during an immigration operation, federal authorities announced Wednesday.
Senior U.S. District Judge Harvey E. Schlesinger handed down the sentence to Jennifer Susan Cruz following an investigation into the January 13 incident in Jacksonville.
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Action News Jax told you in June when Cruz pleaded guilty to the federal charges. Cruz still faces state charges and had a court date scheduled for Thursday.
According to court documents, federal immigration officers assisted by the Florida Highway Patrol were conducting an operation in Jacksonville on January 13 to arrest individuals unlawfully present in the United States.
Cruz drove past the site while recording on her cellphone, parked nearby and began shouting at a trooper conducting a traffic stop, according to a news release from the Department of Justice.
Another trooper approached Cruz to address her unsafe cellphone use while operating a vehicle. When asked for her driver’s license, Cruz stated she did not have it on her person but showed a photo of it on her phone, the release said.
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A background check revealed that Cruz’s license had been suspended since June 17, 2025, the release said. After the trooper ordered a tow truck to impound her vehicle, Cruz drove away, prompting multiple troopers to activate emergency lights and sirens to box in her car.
Cruz exited her vehicle after being stopped, but became verbally hostile and refused multiple orders to surrender her keys, the DOJ said. After stating she was “ready to fight,” Cruz struck a trooper in the face with a closed fist. Multiple law enforcement officers moved in to arrest Cruz as she resisted by striking and kicking at them, the release detailed.
While officers attempted to place Cruz into an FHP patrol vehicle, she kicked at a Customs and Border Protection agent and an Immigration and Customs Enforcement officer, injuring the ICE officer’s left hand, the DOJ said.
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A taser deployed by a trooper failed to subdue Cruz. The trooper who was punched suffered injuries to her face, ear, nose and left hand, receiving treatment at the scene before being taken to a hospital.
U.S. Attorney Gregory W. Kehoe commended law enforcement for holding Cruz accountable for the violence.
“By refusing to comply with lawful commands and assaulting officers during a law enforcement operation, the defendant in this case caused physical harm to officers and placed the public at risk,” Kehoe said in the release. “Now, she will face the consequences of her actions.”
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The case was investigated by Homeland Security Investigations, ICE Enforcement and Removal Operations and the Florida Highway Patrol and was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Arnold B. Corsmeier.
Tim Hemker, assistant special agent in charge of HSI Jacksonville, emphasized the importance of law enforcement safety.
“Assaulting law enforcement officers who are carrying out their lawful duties is intolerable,” Hemker said in the release. “HSI is committed to upholding the rule of law, especially against those who attack the men and women sworn to protect our communities and enforce our laws.”
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