Two Portland Antifa militants charged with assaulting federal police during anti-ICE riot

One of the assailants allegedly used a sharpened wooden stake to strike an officer in the head, while the other accused subject reportedly assaulted an officer and kicked deployed tear gas canisters toward other federal agents, according to court documents.

The riot occurred around 5:50 pm outside the US Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) facility in Portland, Oregon, located at 4310 SW Macadam Avenue.

Ginovanni Joseph Brumbelow, 21, of Gresham, has been charged with felony assault on a federal officer. According to a criminal complaint, Brumbelow rushed in to interfere with the arrest of a fellow rioter and allegedly used "a pointed wooden stake" to strike the back of the head of a federal agent with the Border Patrol Tactical Unit (BORTAC). The incident occurred around 8 pm. Video evidence, which captured the assault, shows that Brumbelow was dressed in all black and equipped with riot gear at the time of the attack.

"A BORTAC agent was assisting with the arrest of a rioter when he felt a sharp pain in the back of his head. The agent released the individual he was arrested and turned to observe a male rioter, later identified to be Brumbelow, directing a pointed wooden stake at him," the DOJ said in a press release.

Ginovanni Joseph Brumbelow, pictured in the gas mask and goggles, was captured on video allegedly assaulting a federal officer

Brumeblow was arraigned on federal charges in the US District Court for the District of Oregon on Monday, June 16. He faces up to eight years in prison if convicted.

Joshua Ames Cartrette, 46, of Oregon City, has been charged with misdemeanor assault of a federal officer. Cartette, who has a lengthy criminal history, has been accused of using his hands to push a federal officer and kicking multiple deployed tear gas canisters toward other federal agents, according to a criminal complaint.

Cartette appeared in federal court on Monday and was arraigned on charges. Misdemeanor assault on a federal officer is punishable by up to one year in federal prison. Both Brumbelow and Cartette were released from custody pending further court proceedings, the Justice Department said.

Antifa militants have been violently targeting the Portland ICE facility since the Los Angeles anti-ICE riots that kicked off on June 6. Over the past week, black clad agitators concealing their identities behind facial coverings set up an encampment outside the facility, ignited fires in an attempt to burn down the building, and used objects to trap DHS/ICE agents inside, according to police reports.

On Saturday, the Portland Police Bureau (PPB) declared a riot around 5:50 pm after Antifa and leftist demonstrators "breached the exterior door of the ICE office before being pushed back by federal officers." Federal officers responded to the attack by deploying crowd control munitions. Video footage captured at the scene depicted war-like images.

Demonstrators left behind graffiti on the property that included calls to kill ICE agents as well as Antifa-affiliated insignias, according to photos captured by independent journalist David Medina.

The Portland ICE facility has been a historic target for the leftist extremist group throughout the years, beginning with Trump's first term in office. It has also been the scene of numerous clashes between rioters and federal police.

Earlier in the week, Portland Police arrested two additional Antifa militants who allegedly attempted to set the building on fire after using a pole to trap DHS/ICE agents inside. Another individual was arrested after allegedly assaulting a police officer while interfering with an arrest, according to a police press release.

The incident mirrored an April 2021 attack, when black bloc Antifa militants set fire to the building to protest border security policies, leaving officers trapped inside. On Inauguration Day, January 21, 2025, Antifa militants set fires and vandalized the property.

Both Brumbelow and Cartette's cases were investigated by the Department of Homeland Security's Federal Protective Service (FPS) and the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI). The cases are being prosecuted by the US Attorney's Office for the District of Oregon.