A man from Venezuela facing misdemeanor charges in New Hampshire was apprehended in a courthouse by federal agents, who unintentionally knocked over a bystander during the incident. Security camera footage from Nashua Circuit Court shows two agents forcibly detaining Arnuel Marquez Colmenarez on February 20. The footage also captured an older man with a cane falling to the ground during the commotion.
Marquez Colmenarez, aged 33, had been charged on February 9 with driving under the influence, driving without a license, and failing to provide information after an accident. While he was on his way to his arraignment for these charges, Nashua Police say he was intercepted by the federal agents.
Jared Neff, a court liaison officer for the Hudson Police Department, witnessed the chaotic scene near the elevators and assisted in subduing Marquez Colmenarez. According to Neff, the agents were acting on orders to detain individuals in the country illegally. They had attempted a discreet apprehension in the elevator, but Marquez Colmenarez resisted and fled.
Subsequently, a bench warrant was issued for Marquez Colmenarez when he failed to appear for his arraignment. The prosecutor involved in the case was not informed by the federal agents prior to the arrest and did not witness the incident.
As of the latest update, Marquez Colmenarez was being held at a U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement facility in Texas. Immigration officers have been increasingly present at courthouses during President Donald Trump’s tenure, leading to criticism from various officials. The president’s administration has reversed a policy from 2011 that advised against arrests in sensitive locations like schools, places of worship, and hospitals.
In a separate incident in Boston, an ICE agent was found in contempt for detaining a suspect during his trial.
