Two males from the Dominican Republic who dedicated a litany of crimes after coming into the US illegally have been charged in reference to the capturing of an off-duty Customs and Border Patrol officer in higher Manhattan, federal authorities introduced on Thursday.
Miguel Francisco Mora Nunez, 21, and Christian Aybar-Berroa, 22, are dealing with federal expenses associated to possession of ammunition by an unlawful alien, Homeland Safety officers mentioned.
It wasn’t instantly clear why tried homicide and assault weren’t additionally charged.
“As alleged, these defendants entered and spent years in our country illegally, and their criminal activity culminated in Saturday night’s near-deadly attack on one of our own,” Ricky Patel, Homeland Safety Investigations New York particular agent in cost, mentioned in an announcement revealing the fees.
On July 19, the off-duty CBP officer was sitting with a girl on a rock close to the waterfront in Fort Washington Park by W. 178th St. when two males pulled up on a moped and tried to rob him round 11:50 p.m., cops mentioned.
Surveillance video seems to point out a person in a white shirt — later recognized by cops as Mora Nunez — get off the moped and method them from behind, gun in hand. After a short combat, Mora Nunez fires a shot, hitting the officer within the face, and seems to duck out of view by a bush whereas the officer goals his personal weapon.
Cops mentioned the officer returned fireplace, putting Mora Nunez, who later was dropped off by moped by his confederate at a close-by hospital with gunshot wounds to his leg and groin, police sources mentioned.
Medics took the 42-year-old officer to Harlem Hospital in steady situation.
Mora Nunez, who was born within the Dominican Republic, entered the nation illegally by means of Arizona in 2023, authorities mentioned. He has two prior arrests for home violence in New York and was additionally needed to face accusations of theft and felony assault. He was additionally needed in Massachusetts for a stolen weapons case, NYPD Commissioner Jessica Tisch mentioned.
Aybar-Berroa additionally entered the nation illegally from the Dominican Republic. Like his alleged confederate, he has an intensive prison file and is needed in a string of robberies, in response to the NYPD.
Mora Nunez faces as much as 15 years in jail if convicted. Aybar-Berroa faces seven and a half years.
On Thursday President Trump filed a federal lawsuit towards New York Metropolis and Mayor Adams searching for to finish sanctuary metropolis regulation insurance policies, citing the capturing in Fort Washington Park as proof of “a surge of violent crime” perpetrated by unlawful immigrants.
Regardless of Trump’s claims, main crimes are, the truth is, down throughout the board within the metropolis this yr, with 2025 to date seeing a 26% drop in murders, a 22% drop in shootings, a 12% drop in robberies and a 1% drop in severe assaults.
Initially Printed: July 24, 2025 at 11:07 PM EDT
