Federal judge releases Cuban national accused of ramming ICE vehicles in San Antonio

SAN ANTONIO – A Cuban national, who is accused of ramming Immigration and Customs Enforcement vehicles last week during an immigration enforcement check in San Antonio, was in federal court for a detention hearing on Tuesday.

A federal judge ordered that Robyn Argote-Brooks to be released into the custody of his father. He was not charged with any crime during the hearing.

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Argote-Brooks’ attorneys told the court that he was never informed his immigration status had been terminated in April 2025. They also argued Argote-Brooks has no history of violence and no reason to return to Cuba.

Federal authorities have released additional details about the incident, which involved a suspect accused of ramming ICE vehicles during an immigration enforcement check.

According to ICE, officers were conducting a records check on Jan. 13 on a vehicle that returned limited registration information. Officers made contact with Argote-Brooks and presented a limited-term Texas driver’s license.

Brooks was taken into federal custody after refusing to comply with commands to exit his vehicle during a targeted stop near the Walmart Supercenter on Blanco Road, close to Wurzbach Parkway. ICE officials said he reversed at high speed, nearly striking an officer, before crashing into one ICE vehicle and then accelerating forward into a second, injuring ICE Field Office Director Miguel Vergara.

Video released by ICE shows Brooks surrounded by agents before the ramming incidents occurred. He eventually exited the vehicle and was taken into custody.

ICE said database checks revealed Argote-Brooks is a native and citizen of Cuba who was admitted into the United States at the Laredo port of entry on Oct. 11, 2024. Customs and Border Protection issued him a Notice to Appear and paroled him into the country while awaiting an immigration hearing.

ICE said the Department of Homeland Security later terminated that parole on April 18, 2025.