A 41-year-old Jacksonville woman will serve 15 months in federal prison for punching a state trooper and kicking federal officials during an immigration enforcement operation earlier this year, authorities said.
According to a statement from U.S. Attorney Gregory W. Kehoe, Senior U.S. District Judge Harvey E. Schlesinger sentenced Jennifer Susan Cruz to prison for attacking police officers.
According to federal court documents, the event occurred on January 13, 2026. Federal immigration agents and the Florida Highway Patrol were conducting an operation in Jacksonville to discover and arrest noncitizens who were living in the country illegally.
Cruz drove past the incident, documenting on her phone as a trooper stopped a car for a traffic violation. She parked nearby and started ranting at the trooper while keeping her camera rolling. Immigration officers later confirmed that both people in the stopped automobile were in the country illegally.
A second trooper approached Cruz to discuss holding and using her phone while driving. The officer informed Cruz that she had every right to video but that using a phone while driving was dangerous and violated state traffic regulations.
Cruz clashed with the trooper, asking if he supported the “Nazis,” referring to U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement. She also warned him not to shoot her in the face. The trooper informed Cruz that ICE personnel were on site in an official capacity and that he was not there to discuss politics but rather to address her traffic violation.
When the trooper requested Cruz’s driver’s license, she stated that she did not have the physical card and gave him a photo of it on her phone. The trooper instructed her to wait in her car while he checked her information. According to state records, her license was suspended on June 17, 2025. Because Cruz could not lawfully drive, the trooper requested a tow truck to impound the vehicle.
While waiting for the tow truck, Cruz drove away. Troopers turned on their lights and sirens, pushed in, and boxed the automobile in, halting her escape.
The trooper informed Cruz that the traffic stop was still current, stated that her car needed to be towed due to her suspended license, and asked her to step out and hand over the keys.
Cruz stepped out but refused to hand over the keys. When soldiers reiterated the command, she replied that she was “ready to go,” later explaining that she was prepared to fight. As a trooper reached for the keys, Cruz hit her in the face with a closed fist.
Officers went in to arrest Cruz, who fought back with swings and kicks. Several police had to carry her to a patrol cruiser as she continued to kick the trooper she had just hit.
As officials attempted to pull Cruz into the backseat, she kicked a Customs and Border Protection agent, an ICE officer, and the trooper who initiated the stop. She delivered hits on both the CBP agent and the ICE officer, damaging the latter’s left hand. A trooper used a taser on Cruz, but it failed to subdue her.
Officers eventually forced Cruz inside the cruiser, where she continued to kick the glass, roof, and dashboard camera.
The trooper who received the punch in the face had injuries to her face, ear, nose, and left hand. Paramedics treated her at the scene before transporting her to a nearby hospital for additional treatment.
“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 a statement. “Now, she will face the consequences of her actions.”
Tim Hemker, assistant special agent in charge of Homeland Security Investigations in Jacksonville, stated that attacks on law enforcement will not be overlooked.
“Assaulting law enforcement officers who are carrying out their lawful duties is intolerable,” Hemker stated. “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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