A federal immigration officer was allegedly hospitalized on July 15 after a violent encounter in Oklahoma City — the latest in a string of reported attacks against ICE agents that officials say are rapidly escalating.
The officer was reportedly injured while attempting to arrest Jose Melgar-Rivas, a 34-year-old Honduran national described by ICE as an illegal alien, according to a post on the agency’s Facebook page. Melgar-Rivas allegedly fled the scene on foot, prompting a manhunt in northwest Oklahoma City. By late afternoon, ICE confirmed he had been captured in a joint operation involving the FBI and Homeland Security Investigations in Dallas.
@ERODallas Update. Jose Melgar-Rivas has been arrested. Joint effort from federal partners at @FBIOklahomaCity and @HSI_Dallas. We will not tolerate the assault of our federal law enforcement officers. https://t.co/PpS3ocSP1q pic.twitter.com/dRGV7tkctg
— ERO Dallas (@ERODallas) July 15, 2025
THE BREAKDOWN:
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ICE says an agent was seriously injured on July 15 during an attempted arrest in Oklahoma City
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Suspect Jose Melgar-Rivas, a 34-year-old Honduran national, was captured later that day
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DHS claims assaults on ICE officers have jumped 830% since Trump returned to office
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Officials blame the spike on rhetoric from political figures and media outlets, including some Democratic lawmakers
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Violent groups are reportedly using doxing tactics to target ICE agents and their families
The Oklahoma City assault follows what top brass at the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) describe as a “shocking spike” in violence against federal immigration officers. DHS Secretary Kristi Noem said ICE has seen an 830% increase in assaults since Jan. 21, 2025 — the day after President Donald Trump returned to office. She placed the blame on hostile political rhetoric.
Just in: our brave @ICEGov law enforcement are now facing a 830% INCREASE in assault against them.
This new data reflects the violence against our law enforcement in cities across the country in the last few weeks. Politicians across the country, regardless of political stripe,…
— Secretary Kristi Noem (@Sec_Noem) July 15, 2025
“Politicians across the country, regardless of political stripe, must condemn this,” Noem wrote on social media.
The Oklahoma incident occurred just hours before the FBI captured Benjamin Song, a far-left Antifa member and the final suspect wanted in connection with the July 4 ambush on an ICE detention center near Fort Worth.
As The Dallas Express previously reported, Song allegedly purchased weapons used in the attack, which left an Alvarado police officer critically wounded. Fourteen individuals now face federal charges tied to that shooting.
DOJ officials said the suspects coordinated the ambush using encrypted messaging apps and were found with anarchist and socialist propaganda. According to Acting U.S. Attorney Nancy Larson, Song was arrested without incident at his girlfriend’s Dallas apartment following a tip. She said the attack had been “planned,” with ICE agents targeted as they responded to staged vandalism outside the detention center.