Co-defendant Thalia Marie Ramirez, 20, allegedly used a boxcutter to slash the tires of a secondary transport vehicle, and another defendant, Mikki Hatfield, 34, is accused of assaulting law enforcement.
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Former Spokane City Council President Ben Stuckart is among nine individuals federally indicted following a June 11 protest that spiraled into a riot at the US Department of Homeland Security’s facility in Spokane, Washington. Charges against the rioters ranged from conspiracy to assault on federal officers and obstruction.
Stuckart, 53, who has been a prominent voice in progressive causes, including sanctuary city policies, is facing a charge of Conspiracy to Impede or Injure Federal Officers. He is accused of initiating the disruptive action by calling for others to physically block an ICE transport bus on social media.
The day of the riot, Stuckart wrote on social media, “If you care at all about these illegal detainers, you meet me at 411 West Cataldo by 2 p.m. I am going to sit in front of the bus. Feel free to join me... The Latino community needs the rest of our community. Not tonight, not Saturday but right now!!!!”
Court documents say the protest escalated into a coordinated attempt to block federal law enforcement officers from transporting immigration detainees. The detainees, 21-year-old Venezuelan national Cesar Alexander Alvarez Perez, whom Stuckart reportedly claimed to have recently become the legal guardian of, and Colombian national Joswar Slater Rodriguez Torres were detained after a scheduled ICE check-in.
According to prosecutors, Stuckart, along with others, physically obstructed a federal transport bus. Additional participants reportedly disabled the bus by letting air out of its tires and spray-painting its windshield. Co-defendant Thalia Marie Ramirez, 20, allegedly used a boxcutter to slash the tires of a secondary transport vehicle, and another defendant, Mikki Hatfield, 34, is accused of assaulting law enforcement and throwing an incendiary device back at officers.
The courtroom was packed for Tuesday's initial appearances. According to KXLY, nearly every seat was occupied by public attendees and public defenders, one assigned to each of the nine defendants. The first group to appear included Stuckart, 34-year-old Mikki Hatfield, and 38-year-old Bobbi Silva. Hatfield and Silva face additional charges of Assault on a Federal Officer, with allegations of physical contact and attempts to cause further felonies.
While Hatfield and Silva remain in custody at the federal courthouse pending a detention hearing scheduled for Friday at 10 am, prosecutors determined there was no immediate need to detain Stuckart or the other co-defendants. They were released under strict pretrial conditions that prohibited them from communicating with each other outside of attorney presence, barred them from entering the ICE facility in Spokane and instructed them not to alter or delete any relevant social media posts.
The other individuals indicted include:
The June 11 protest forced law enforcement to call in reinforcements and deploy crowd control tactics, including smoke and pepper balls. A state of emergency was declared by Spokane Mayor Lisa Brown that same afternoon due to escalating unrest in the downtown area. Federal agents, detainees, and facility employees remained trapped until approximately 9:00 pm, only able to exit with the assistance of the Spokane Police SWAT team.
The protest in Spokane occurred amid a national wave of anti-ICE demonstrations, many of which have turned violent in cities like Los Angeles, Portland, and Seattle. Officials have noted increased coordination among far-left activist groups, including Antifa, the Party for Socialism and Liberation, and Indivisible.
Stuckart, 53, who has been a prominent voice in progressive causes, including sanctuary city policies, is facing a charge of Conspiracy to Impede or Injure Federal Officers. He is accused of initiating the disruptive action by calling for others to physically block an ICE transport bus on social media.
The day of the riot, Stuckart wrote on social media, “If you care at all about these illegal detainers, you meet me at 411 West Cataldo by 2 p.m. I am going to sit in front of the bus. Feel free to join me... The Latino community needs the rest of our community. Not tonight, not Saturday but right now!!!!”
Court documents say the protest escalated into a coordinated attempt to block federal law enforcement officers from transporting immigration detainees. The detainees, 21-year-old Venezuelan national Cesar Alexander Alvarez Perez, whom Stuckart reportedly claimed to have recently become the legal guardian of, and Colombian national Joswar Slater Rodriguez Torres were detained after a scheduled ICE check-in.
According to prosecutors, Stuckart, along with others, physically obstructed a federal transport bus. Additional participants reportedly disabled the bus by letting air out of its tires and spray-painting its windshield. Co-defendant Thalia Marie Ramirez, 20, allegedly used a boxcutter to slash the tires of a secondary transport vehicle, and another defendant, Mikki Hatfield, 34, is accused of assaulting law enforcement and throwing an incendiary device back at officers.
The courtroom was packed for Tuesday's initial appearances. According to KXLY, nearly every seat was occupied by public attendees and public defenders, one assigned to each of the nine defendants. The first group to appear included Stuckart, 34-year-old Mikki Hatfield, and 38-year-old Bobbi Silva. Hatfield and Silva face additional charges of Assault on a Federal Officer, with allegations of physical contact and attempts to cause further felonies.
While Hatfield and Silva remain in custody at the federal courthouse pending a detention hearing scheduled for Friday at 10 am, prosecutors determined there was no immediate need to detain Stuckart or the other co-defendants. They were released under strict pretrial conditions that prohibited them from communicating with each other outside of attorney presence, barred them from entering the ICE facility in Spokane and instructed them not to alter or delete any relevant social media posts.
The other individuals indicted include:
- Justice Forral, 33 – Conspiracy to Impede or Injure Officers
- Erin Nicole Lang, 31 – Conspiracy to Impede or Injure Officers
- Collin James Muncey, 34 – Conspiracy to Impede or Injure Officers
- Bajun Dhunjisha Mavalwalla II, 35 – Conspiracy to Impede or Injure Officers
- Jac Dalitso Archer, 33 – Conspiracy to Impede or Injure Officers
The June 11 protest forced law enforcement to call in reinforcements and deploy crowd control tactics, including smoke and pepper balls. A state of emergency was declared by Spokane Mayor Lisa Brown that same afternoon due to escalating unrest in the downtown area. Federal agents, detainees, and facility employees remained trapped until approximately 9:00 pm, only able to exit with the assistance of the Spokane Police SWAT team.
The protest in Spokane occurred amid a national wave of anti-ICE demonstrations, many of which have turned violent in cities like Los Angeles, Portland, and Seattle. Officials have noted increased coordination among far-left activist groups, including Antifa, the Party for Socialism and Liberation, and Indivisible.
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