Mexican man pleads guilty to impersonating Border Patrol agent to disrupt deportation missions

Alvarez-Gonzalez pleaded guilty to one count of impersonating a federal agent and three counts of illegally possessing firearms. Prosecutors said he recorded himself saying he was actively looking for federal agents working on immigration enforcement and had brought in reinforcements, and that he possessed a fake FBI badge. He overstayed his tourist visa decades ago, according to the U.S. Attorney's Office. The counts reflect the firearms-related charges connected to the incident.

A Mexican man, Jamie Ernesto Alvarez-Gonzalez, followed a Border Patrol agent while he was driving in a San Diego neighborhood during an immigration enforcement operation. He used a black Ford F-150, a vehicle model also used by undercover federal officers, with a license plate bearing the words federal truck written in small letters, though federal was misspelled. He placed a Border Patrol sticker in the windshield, added non-working radio antennae on the roof, and had handcuffs hanging from the rearview mirror. The agent aborted the mission after recognizing that he was being followed, fearing other agents were responding. Three other cars arrived later and harassed departing agents, chasing them on the highway.