DeSantis warns against violence toward ICE agents after woman punches state trooper

WASHINGTON (TNND) — Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis warned Floridians against violently attacking ICE agents and other law enforcement officials, pointing to the recent arrest of a woman who allegedly punched a state trooper in the face as an example.

“This is not Minneapolis,” DeSantis said of the incident during a press conference on Thursday.

“This is not going to end well for you in Florida.”

Footage showed Jennifer Cruz kicking and screaming expletives at officers while she was being placed in the backseat of a cop car after assaulting a state trooper.

The altercation occurred Tuesday in the parking lot outside of Mi Pueblo, a Mexican grocery store in Jackson, where federal and state law enforcement officers were conducting an operation. Cruz allegedly got out of her car and sucker punched the state trooper.

Florida Attorney General James Uthmeier posted a still from the police car’s dashboard camera showing Cruz smiling as she was being apprehended.

“This is Jennifer Cruz of Jacksonville. Jennifer disagrees with immigration enforcement and decided to commit a few felonies by getting out of her car and punching a Trooper in the face,” Uthmeier wrote.

“But unlike Minnesota, we don’t put up with this nonsense. Not today, Jennifer,” Uthmeier wrote, a dig at Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz and Minneapolis Jacob Frey, who have repeatedly called for ICE to leave the state.

Juan Alvarez, the owner of the grocery store, took footage of the altercation and shared with News 4 Jax that the law enforcement officers had detained a driver before the altercation between Cruz transpired.

“After that, they detained another person, and it seems they got into an altercation with that person,” Alvarez said.

“It turned violent, and that led to the presence of a lot more police and federal enforcement showing up,” Alvarez conntinued.

Cruz faces multiple charges including battery on a law enforcement officer, resisting officers with violence and threatening harm to officers. She is out on bond but will appear in court on February 4.

“You have a right to go out there and criticize government policy,” DeSantis said at the press hearing. “You can go out there and protest within respected zones, but the idea that you’re going to assault one of our troopers is unacceptable, and you are going to face consequences as a result of that.”