An illegal immigrant already facing a dismissed felony case allegedly chased a woman with a knife, then grabbed a Virginia police officer’s gun and tried to take it from him.
Quick Take
- Fairfax County police charged Nehemia Noel Fuentes-Banegas, 26, with attempted disarming of a law enforcement officer, a felony.
- Body camera photos show him with his hands on the officer’s handgun during Tuesday’s confrontation in Annandale.
- Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) has filed a detainer, asking Fairfax County not to release him.
- Court records show an earlier felony case against him, including abduction and assault charges, was dismissed before this incident.
- The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) says he entered the country illegally through Texas in 2022.
What Happened in Annandale
Fairfax County police responded to a domestic disturbance call Tuesday in Annandale, Virginia. Officers say Fuentes-Banegas came out of nearby woods during the encounter. Newly released body camera stills show him grabbing an officer’s handgun and appearing to attempt to pull it away, according to police records reviewed by local reporters.
Police say he had discarded two knives before the confrontation with officers. Investigators have not detailed what happened in the moments right before he allegedly grabbed the weapon. He now faces a felony charge of attempted disarming of a law enforcement officer, a serious crime under Virginia law meant to protect officers from being disarmed during a struggle.
Federal Officials React
DHS Assistant Secretary Tricia McLaughlin issued a blunt statement after the arrest. She said, “This criminal illegal alien from Honduras attacked a law enforcement officer and attempted to take the officer’s gun.” Federal officials say Fuentes-Banegas entered the United States illegally through Texas in 2022 and was released into the country at that time.
ICE has now placed a formal detainer on Fuentes-Banegas. That means the agency is asking Fairfax County officials to hold him past his release date so federal agents can take him into custody for possible deportation proceedings. Local jails are not always required to honor these requests, which has fueled ongoing friction between federal immigration authorities and local governments.
A Case Dropped Before This Incident
Court records reviewed by local news show Fuentes-Banegas had faced an earlier felony case in Fairfax County. Prosecutors had charged him with felony abduction, suffocation, and assault. Those charges were dismissed before the officer confrontation this week, though records reviewed so far do not spell out exactly why prosecutors dropped the case.
That dismissal is now drawing fresh attention given what allegedly happened days later. It raises a question many Americans on both sides of the immigration debate keep asking: whether local systems are doing enough to track people accused of violent crimes, regardless of their immigration status, before something worse occurs.
Public Reaction Splits Along Familiar Lines
News of the arrest spread quickly online, with conservative commentators pointing to it as proof that border and release policies under the previous administration put officers and the public at risk. Some social media users called for stricter accountability measures for people released into the country while their immigration cases are pending, a debate that has run through much of the past several years.
ICE ASKS COUNTY NOT TO RELEASE SUSPECT: Federal immigration officials are asking Fairfax County not to release Nehemia Noel Fuentes-Banegas, who DHS says entered the U.S. illegally through Texas in 2022 and was later released.
He is accused of attempting to disarm a Virginia… pic.twitter.com/Z9GlX5JKKB
— The Dallas Express News (@DallasExpress) August 1, 2026
The case is likely to move through Fairfax County’s court system in the coming weeks, alongside any federal action tied to the ICE detainer. As with any criminal charge, Fuentes-Banegas is presumed innocent unless and until a court finds otherwise. For now, the felony charge and the detainer represent the official record, not a final legal outcome.
Whatever the courts decide, the incident lands at the center of a national argument that shows no sign of fading. Both police unions and immigration reform advocates have long called for clearer rules on how local jails handle federal detainer requests, especially in cases tied to alleged violence against law enforcement officers.
Sources:
thegatewaypundit.com, noticias.foxnews.com, foxnews.com
