Ryan Bruce Gaither Jr., 37, of Eugene, has been charged with assault on a federal employee involving physical contact and aggravated assault on a federal employee causing bodily injury.
An Oregon man has been indicted by a federal grand jury for an alleged physical attack against federal officers during an anti-Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) demonstration in January. The incident occurred outside the Eugene federal building.
Ryan Bruce Gaither Jr., 37, of Eugene, has been charged with assault on a federal employee involving physical contact and aggravated assault on a federal employee causing bodily injury. The defendant was arraigned in federal court on Tuesday and pleaded not guilty, the Oregon US Attorney's Office said in a press release.
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On January 27, 2026, Gaither allegedly spat on a US Customs and Border Protection (CBP) officer on the Special Response Team (SRT) and bit a second officer, according to court documents.
Video footage of his arrest shows Gaither struggling with two CBP SRT officers while he lies on the ground, handcuffs tied behind his back. He can be observed shouting with an angry facial expression before being taken into custody. As he gets whisked away, an aggressive mob of protesters surrounds federal officers, screaming and hurling projectiles, video shows. A sign stating "ICE kills" was seen being waved in the air.
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The anti-ICE demonstration was organized in response to the two fatal shootings of Minneapolis agitators during Operation Metro Surge, a large-scale immigration enforcement operation that began in early January. Oregon protesters mobilized to attack the Eugene federal building, which houses an ICE office, to show solidarity with Minneapolis. The crowd maintained positions around the facility for hours.
Agitators, many of whom were clad in Antifa's black bloc uniform, taunted officers throughout the day. They violently banged on the federal building's windows and shone high-powered green lasers that can cause blindness at agents who were stationed on the roof. Numerous arrests were made throughout the day, and federal officers deployed less-lethal crowd control measures to disperse the unruly demonstration.
The aggressive demonstration occurred just days before the tumultuous January 30 riot at the Eugene federal building, where agitators shattered the facility's doors and windows in an attempt to breach the building with federal officers stationed inside. The FBI issued wanted posters of subjects and has since made several arrests.
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These two large-scale January incidents follow a pattern of aggressive anti-ICE demonstrations at the Eugene federal building, which is located just a couple of hours south of Portland, Oregon. It's been the site of ongoing clashes between federal officers and protesters since summer 2025.
The Post Millennial's coverage of a September 2025 anti-ICE Antifa direct action in Eugene captured the attention of the Trump administration, resulting in the president ordering the deployment of the National Guard to quell the ongoing demonstration at the ICE facility in Portland.
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The FBI issued posters in February of wanted subjects accused of committing crimes during the January 30 demonstration. The agency has since made several arrests, but remains asking for help in identifying several other subjects. The FBI has offered a $5,000 reward for their identities.
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