Prosecutors said a Venezuelan immigrant grabbed a federal agent’s firearm during a struggle in Metro Detroit that injured two investigators. The struggle involving 34-year-old Arnoldo Marquez-Pulido is described in a federal criminal case filed Tuesday in Detroit that represents a rare instance of violence during a broader nationwide crackdown on illegal immigration. Marquez-Pulido is charged with assaulting, resisting or impeding an officer and being an illegal immigrant in possession of a firearm. If convicted, he faces up to 20 years in federal prison. He is being held at Calhoun County Correctional Facility. A detention hearing, during which a federal magistrate judge will decide whether to indefinitely jail Marquez-Pulido while the case is pending, is scheduled for Friday. His lawyer, Stacey Studnicki, did not respond immediately to a message seeking comment. “Some say that enforcing our nation’s immigration laws is unfair because illegal aliens are all harmless. Today’s allegations break that narrative,” U.S. Attorney Jerome Gorgon said in a statement. “High speed flight from arrest, fighting federal agents, and grabbing an agent’s gun are not ‘harmless.’ And what’s ‘unfair’ is the fact that Americans pay the price for dangerous illegal aliens.” Fight happened at Sam’s Club in Utica, feds say The criminal case stems from an incident at Sam’s Club in Utica on March 4. That is when Homeland Security Task Force agents and officers were searching for immigrants living in the United States illegally after receiving a tip that several people were working as delivery drivers at the store. Agents spotted Marquez-Pulido’s vehicle and discovered he was living in the U.S. illegally, Homeland Security Investigations Special Agent James Ratobylski wrote in an affidavit. Investigators followed the car as Marquez-Pulido traveled near 18 Mile and Van Dyke in Sterling Heights and tried to pull over his vehicle. But the man fled, and investigators lost sight of his vehicle, Ratobylski wrote. Marquez-Pulido eventually returned to Sam’s Club and was tackled outside the store, the investigator wrote. “Marquez-Pulido refused to comply with commands and began to fight with the special agent,” Ratobylski wrote. “During the struggle, Marquez-Pulido struck the special agent on his left cheek with his elbow.” Venezuelan immigrant reached for agent’s Glock pistol, court filing says Then the Venezuelan man reached for the agent’s Glock Model 19 pistol, according to the court filing. “Marquez-Pulido engaged the holster release lever, removing the firearm from the holster,” Ratobylski wrote. “He lost control of the firearm as the special agent flipped him over, and the firearm fell to the ground beside them.” Marquez-Pulido continued to fight and had to be restrained after agents secured the firearm, according to the government. “During the commission of this offense, Marquez-Pulido inflicted bodily injury on the special agent,” Ratobylski wrote. “The special agent suffered a contusion to his elbow, abrasions on his knees and hands, and a contusion to his right cheek. Another agent suffered a contusion to his knee. Both agents were treated at the hospital and released.” Proof of illegal immigration submitted Later, an investigation showed Marquez-Pulido entered the U.S. in California in late April 2024 and admitted he did not have permission to be in the country. He was released and ordered to appear for a removal hearing in front of an immigration judge in April 2025, the court filing alleged. “There is no evidence that Marquez-Pulido has received any form of lawful status in the United States,” the agent wrote. rsnell@detroitnews.com This article originally appeared on The Detroit News: Immigrant took Homeland Security agent’s gun in Macomb Co. fight: feds Reporting by Robert Snell, The Detroit News / The Detroit News USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect