A Guatemalan national, Cristian Aroldo Pineda Diaz, has been detained in federal custody on charges of assaulting federal officers. The announcement was made by Acting United States Attorney Sara Miron Bloom. Diaz, who entered the U.S. without inspection in 2006, is also awaiting trial in Rhode Island state court for felony domestic assault and violation of a protective order.
Court documents reveal that on July 15, 2025, ICE Enforcement and Removal officers, along with a DEA agent and a Deputy U.S. Marshal, approached Diaz with an immigration arrest warrant. In an attempt to evade arrest, Diaz allegedly tackled the DEA agent, causing serious injury. During the struggle to subdue him, both an immigration officer and a DEA agent sustained injuries requiring medical attention.
Diaz’s legal troubles began on February 5, 2023, when he was arrested in Central Falls for domestic breaking and entering, disorderly conduct, and resisting arrest. A no-contact order was issued against him at that time. He allegedly violated this order on February 16 by contacting the complainant through calls and texts and reportedly following and striking the complainant’s vehicle multiple times with his own car. This led to an arrest warrant charging him with six counts of felony domestic assault.
He was taken into custody on March 4, 2023, but released on bail a month later.
Assistant U.S Attorney G. Michael Seaman is prosecuting the federal assault case against Diaz. The investigation was conducted by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement.
This case falls under Operation Take Back America—a Department of Justice initiative aimed at addressing illegal immigration and dismantling cartels and transnational criminal organizations to protect communities from violent crime.
It is important to note that a criminal complaint is merely an accusation; defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty.
