Rodrigues

An ICE agent in Florida, identified as Alexander Rivera Rios, 50, was arrested Wednesday and charged with battery by strangulation after an altercation outside an Orlando apartment complex on August 26. Orlando police say the confrontation began when Rivera Rios argued with a woman over her driving as she entered the complex. Her husband, Jailton Rodrigues, came downstairs after she called him, and the two men argued before Rodrigues pushed Rivera Rios back with his shoulder. Police say Rivera Rios then grabbed Rodrigues by the neck with both hands, leaving him unable to breathe for several seconds, until an apartment maintenance worker intervened. Cellphone video of the incident backed Rodrigues' account, and officers noted a fresh mark on his neck.

Rivera Rios told police he acted in self-defense after being pushed, but officers determined he was the primary aggressor. Sources identified him as an ICE deportation officer working out of the Orlando Hub Office. He was booked into the Orange County jail on no bond and appeared in court Thursday. ICE and DHS have not confirmed his employment or duty status.