Federal jury in KY acquits man accused of assaulting ICE officers
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- Federal jury acquits Cuban national of assaulting ICE officers after four-day trial.
- Judge dismissed indictment and ordered him held by U.S. Marshals.
- Incident occurred at USCIS appointment after his residency request was denied.
A man living in Louisville was acquitted recently of assaulting ICE agents during an appointment at an immigration office, though he remains in custody of federal officials.
Laryen Torres-Carmona, a Cuban national, was accused of assaulting two ICE officers Aug. 26, 2025, in Louisville. According to court documents, he was at a Citizenship and Immigration Services office in Louisville seeking to obtain permanent residence in the U.S. or extend his expired parole from Cuba when officers instead arrested him. He was accused of then shoving one officer and resisting arrest.
Residents of some North and Central America countries can apply for parole into the U.S. for humanitarian or familial need. Torres-Carmona was accused of staying past the June 27, 2025, expiration of his parole.
Torres-Carmona was charged with two counts of assaulting, resisting or impeding certain officers or employees. He went to trial Jan. 27, and three days later, the jury found him not guilty of both counts, according to court documents.
“In coming to America, Laryen held a strong belief in the American dream, and that dream includes the benefits of the American justice system,” his lawyer, Ashlea Hellmann, said in a statement Friday morning. “We have maintained Laryen’s innocence this whole time, and that innocence being vindicated was a very emotional moment for him.”
U.S. District Judge Rebecca Grady dismissed the indictment but ordered Torres-Carmona remain in custody of the U.S. Marshals Office. Court documents say Torres-Carmona has an immigration detainer, meaning he is eligible for deportation.
Details of incident
Torres-Carmona entered the country July 25, 2023, as a parolee, according to the U.S. Attorney’s Office. His parole expired two years later.
Court documents do not indicate the reason for his parole.
Torres-Carmona had an appointment at the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services office in Louisville on Aug. 26, scheduled several months before his parole expired.
Court documents say he applied for permanent residency status or to have his parole extended, but his application was denied, and a warrant was issued for his arrest.
Court documents do not indicate why his application was denied, though he’s been charged with theft, third-degree criminal trespassing and first-degree strangulation since arriving in the U.S. The theft and criminal trespassing charges were filed Aug. 29, 2024, while the strangulation charge was filed Aug. 17, 2025, just a few days before the appointment.
The strangulation case remains active in Jefferson District Court. A preliminary hearing is scheduled for Feb. 23, according to court records.
When Torres-Carmona arrived at the office the day of his appointment, an ICE agent escorted him from the lobby into a secured working area. Court documents say he was in a short hallway with three ICE officers, one of whom communicated with him in Spanish.
Torres-Carmona tried to go back to the door he was just escorted through, but two ICE agents moved closer to him.
Officials accused Torres-Carmona of then pushing the officer who tried to place him in handcuffs and resisting arrest when he was pushed against a wall.
Each count Torres-Carmona faced would have carried a maximum prison sentence of eight years and a $250,000 fine, according to court documents.
