A Texas man has been sentenced to 18 months in federal prison after assaulting a U.S. Border Patrol agent in a violent encounter at a checkpoint last year, federal prosecutors announced Monday.

According to court records, 26-year-old Kevin Dominguez of Katy, Texas, approached a U.S. Border Patrol checkpoint along U.S. Highway 57 near Eagle Pass on August 1, 2023. The checkpoint, located just north of the U.S.-Mexico border, is one of several designed to intercept human smuggling operations and drug trafficking along the busy corridor.

As Dominguez pulled his gray sedan forward, a trained Border Patrol canine alerted to possible movement in the trunk of his vehicle. Agents instructed Dominguez to stop for a secondary inspection. Instead of complying, prosecutors say Dominguez suddenly shifted his car into reverse and accelerated, striking one of the agents standing behind the vehicle.

The impact knocked the agent to the ground. Dominguez then sped away from the checkpoint, initiating a brief pursuit by Border Patrol units and local law enforcement. After several miles, agents found the sedan abandoned on a rural road. The man hidden in the trunk was later located nearby and taken into custody for immigration processing.

Federal investigators identified Dominguez through vehicle registration and fingerprint evidence recovered from the car. He was arrested several days later in Katy without incident.

According to the Department of Justice, Dominguez later admitted that he had been paid several thousand dollars to smuggle the man—believed to be an undocumented migrant—from Laredo to San Antonio. His role, prosecutors said, was to drive the individual through the checkpoint, drop him off near a bus station, and collect payment upon return.

In court filings, prosecutors emphasized that Dominguez’s actions demonstrated a blatant disregard for human life and the law, noting that the injured agent sustained bruises and a mild concussion but has since recovered.

“Smugglers who attempt to evade law enforcement by using violence or endangering officers will face serious consequences,” said U.S. Attorney Jaime Esparza for the Western District of Texas. “This sentence reflects our commitment to holding individuals accountable who threaten the safety of federal agents and undermine border security operations.”

At his sentencing hearing in Del Rio federal court, Dominguez expressed remorse for his actions, telling the judge he panicked when he realized the agents had detected his passenger. “I wasn’t thinking straight,” he said, apologizing to the agent he struck. “I know what I did was wrong, and I’m ready to face the consequences.”

Judge Alia Moses, who presided over the case, noted that while Dominguez had no prior violent criminal history, the seriousness of assaulting a federal officer required a custodial sentence. In addition to the 18-month prison term, he was ordered to serve three years of supervised release and pay restitution to cover the injured agent’s medical expenses.

Authorities say human smuggling incidents involving physical confrontations have been on the rise along the Texas border in recent years. Border Patrol Chief Jason Owens called the case “a reminder of the daily dangers faced by our agents.”

“Our men and women encounter unpredictable situations every day,” Owens said in a statement. “Despite the risks, they remain committed to protecting our nation’s borders and ensuring the safety of the people they serve.”

Dominguez will serve his sentence at a federal correctional facility in southern Texas. The man found in his trunk was turned over to immigration authorities for removal proceedings. Officials said the investigation was a coordinated effort between the U.S. Border Patrol, the Department of Homeland Security’s Office of Inspector General, and the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Western District of Texas.

The case underscores the ongoing challenges of border enforcement — and the consequences awaiting those who choose to resist it through violence.

But beyond the facts and court filings, the case offers a window into the human realities behind border operations — the split-second decisions, the risks, and the lives that can change forever in an instant.

The U.S. Highway 57 checkpoint near Eagle Pass is one of the busiest in South Texas. Agents there inspect thousands of vehicles each day. The majority pass through without incident, but the potential for danger is ever-present. A single movement, a panicked reaction, or an attempt to flee can escalate routine inspection into a life-threatening confrontation.

For Border Patrol agents, each stop is unpredictable. The people they encounter may be drivers smuggling drugs or migrants, or simply ordinary travelers unaware of what’s happening in the trunk or hidden compartments of their cars. Dominguez’s case illustrates just how quickly things can spiral from calm to chaos.

According to law enforcement reports, when the canine unit alerted that afternoon, Dominguez froze for a brief moment before suddenly shifting the car into reverse. The agent behind him had no time to react. He was struck and thrown to the ground before Dominguez sped off. Fellow agents immediately initiated pursuit, radioing ahead to local law enforcement.

Within minutes, they found the sedan abandoned on a dirt road not far from the checkpoint. Tire tracks showed it had swerved abruptly before stopping. Agents fanned out through nearby brush and found the migrant who had been hidden in the trunk walking along a fence line. He was exhausted, dehydrated, and disoriented, but otherwise unharmed.

The subsequent investigation moved quickly. Dominguez’s fingerprints were found inside the car, along with his phone and a receipt linking him to the rental agreement. Surveillance footage from a nearby gas station later showed him filling the tank less than an hour before the encounter.

When agents arrested Dominguez at his apartment in Katy, he did not resist. During questioning, he admitted that he had agreed to smuggle the man across the checkpoint for a few thousand dollars. He told investigators he was desperate for cash after losing his job and falling behind on rent.

In his confession, Dominguez described how he met a contact through social media who offered him the job. He claimed he didn’t know the full extent of the operation or the risks involved. “I thought it was just driving,” he reportedly said. “I didn’t think anyone would get hurt.”

But prosecutors argued that his actions after detection — choosing to reverse into an officer rather than surrender — showed that he knew what he was doing was illegal and dangerous. They emphasized that federal agents must have the confidence to perform their duties without fear of being attacked.

During sentencing, Judge Moses balanced the factors carefully. She acknowledged Dominguez’s remorse and lack of previous violent history but noted that his split-second decision could easily have been fatal. “You’re fortunate that no one died that day,” she told him.

For the Border Patrol, the case is one of many recent examples of increasing aggression along smuggling routes. In 2023 alone, agents in the Del Rio Sector reported dozens of vehicle assaults, pursuits, and other confrontations tied to smuggling attempts. Officials say many drivers are recruited online through organized networks that promise easy money but often lead to arrests and prison sentences.

Human smuggling has evolved beyond large-scale cartel operations. It now includes individual drivers, often U.S. citizens, hired through social media apps or text messages to transport migrants past checkpoints for a quick payout. What they may not realize is that the penalties for these acts can be severe — especially when violence or injury occurs.

Dominguez’s 18-month sentence, while modest by some standards, carries broader implications. It sends a message to would-be smugglers that the government will pursue charges aggressively, particularly when federal agents are harmed. It also highlights the human cost of the trade: agents put in danger, migrants exploited, and young Americans drawn into criminal activity by the lure of fast cash.

Officials say the injured agent has returned to full duty, but the case left a mark on the checkpoint team. For those who work along the border, every incident is a reminder that danger can come at any moment — from a routine inspection, a nervous driver, or a desperate attempt to flee.

Border Patrol Chief Jason Owens said it best in his public remarks following the sentencing. “Our agents face unpredictable threats daily,” he said. “This case is a reminder that even one reckless act can endanger lives — but it’s also proof that justice will be done.”

For Dominguez, justice now means 18 months behind bars, followed by three years of supervision. It means restitution payments to the agent he injured and the permanent mark of a federal felony on his record. His decision, made in panic and fear, will follow him for the rest of his life.

But for the men and women who stand guard at the nation’s borders, it’s another lesson learned, another reminder of why their work — often unseen, often thankless — matters so deeply.

In the courtroom, as the hearing concluded, Dominguez reportedly turned to his family and mouthed the words, “I’m sorry.” His mother wept silently in the back row.

As federal marshals led him away, the judge’s words echoed through the room: “In one moment of fear, you endangered a life, betrayed your country’s laws, and lost your freedom. But you have the chance to start again when this is over. Let that be your focus.”

With that, the case was closed — another entry in the long record of border-related crimes that continue to test the limits of law enforcement and the individuals caught in their wake.

For prosecutors and agents alike, the outcome was seen as a victory for justice and deterrence. For Dominguez, it was a costly lesson in accountability. And for the American public, it was a stark glimpse into the tense, unpredictable realities that play out every day along the Texas border.