A 24-year-old U.S. citizen detained by U.S. Customs and Border Protection agents during the agency’s ongoing operation in Charlotte will be released on bond following a preliminary hearing Thursday at the federal courthouse.
Miguel Angel Garcia Martinez is charged with using his vehicle to assault, resist or impede federal officers.
During the hearing, prosecutors said Garcia Martinez had been following CBP vehicles and taking photos of them to post on social media. Agents attempted to stop him, prosecutors said, but Garcia Martinez allegedly fled, leading officers on a roughly 1.5-mile chase along University City Boulevard.
Garcia Martinez’s attorney argued his client had not broken any laws before driving away, saying he was engaged in activity protected by the First Amendment.
Prosecutors also accused Garcia Martinez of ramming a CBP vehicle during the chase — a detail the judge pressed them on, asking whether the collision could have been accidental.
The judge will now decide whether there is probable cause to move the case forward to trial.
