A federal judge on Tuesday dismissed the case of a U.S. citizen detained and charged with a felony for allegedly assaulting Border Patrol agents during its November operation in Charlotte.
Miguel Angel Garcia Martinez, 24, was charged with using his vehicle to assault, resist or impede federal officers. He had faced up to eight years in federal prison if he was convicted.
Prosecutors previously said Garcia Martinez followed CBP vehicles in November and took photos of them to post on social media. CBP agents then tried to stop Garcia Martinez, but he fled and led agents on a 1.5-mile chase on University City Boulevard.
U.S. Attorney Russ Ferguson moved on Monday to dismiss the charges, and a federal judge dismissed the case on Tuesday.
“Where it is just and proper to dismiss a case, we won’t hesitate to do so," a spokesperson for the U.S. Attorney’s Office told WFAE.
Garcia Martinez’s attorney previously said his client did not do anything wrong before the chase, and that he was exercising his First Amendment rights as a U.S. citizen.
"We’re grateful that the United States Attorney’s Office has come to see the wisdom in dropping all the charges against Mr. Garcia Martinez, and he can get back to being a good father and good citizen," Garcia Martinez's attorney told WFAE.
Other charges against other U.S. citizens during CBP’s November operation in Charlotte have also been dropped.
