A federal criminal complaint was filed Friday against a Minneapolis man accused of breaking into a Federal Bureau of Investigation vehicle and stealing a rifle during civil unrest in North Minneapolis earlier this month, authorities said.
Thirty-three-year-old Raul Gutierrez of Minneapolis was charged with being a felon in possession of a firearm and theft of government property in federal court, the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Minnesota announced. Gutierrez is expected to make his initial federal court appearance in the coming days.
Federal authorities said Gutierrez is a known member of the Latin Kings gang with a documented history of involvement in trafficking fentanyl and methamphetamine. DEA officials identified him as the individual seen in open-source videos removing the rifle from the FBI vehicle after it was left at the scene of unrest.
“Gutierrez is known at DEA as a violent criminal with a history involving fentanyl and methamphetamine drug trafficking and distribution,” Drug Enforcement Administration Omaha Field Division Special Agent in Charge Dustin Gillespie said.
“In support of this investigation, DEA identified him as the individual seen breaking into an FBI vehicle on January 14. The combined efforts of federal law enforcement agencies and the Violent Offender Task Force led to the swift arrest and removal of a Latin King member that instilled fear and pushed poisons into our communities,” Gillespie added.
U.S. Attorney Daniel Rosen stated, “Despite the incitement of violence against federal law enforcement by local officials, which resulted here in the theft of a firearm from an FBI vehicle and the destruction of government property, this United States Attorney’s Office and Department of Justice will always put the public safety of Americans first. This alleged gang member, who is a previously convicted felon, is a danger to the community and this case is an indictment of the weak-on-crime policies promoted by the Mayor and Governor.”
The alleged incident occurred on Jan. 14 as FBI personnel were providing support to the Department of Homeland Security in an operation in Minneapolis that included the use of force in an arrest attempt, according to the press release. As agents were forced to temporarily abandon their vehicles and equipment, individuals in the crowd broke into at least one unmarked FBI vehicle and removed federal property, including a Colt M16A1 rifle and related accessories.
“There is a clear, bright line between peaceful protest and lawless destruction,” said Acting Special Agent in Charge Jarrad Smith of FBI Minneapolis. “Stealing, damaging, and destroying federal property endangers the community and jeopardizes the safe and peaceful exercise of First Amendment rights. The FBI will never tolerate interference in law enforcement activities. Together with ATF, DEA, and the invaluable partnership of all our federal, state, and local law enforcement allies, FBI Minneapolis will ensure public safety and that those engaging in violent and destructive behavior will be identified and will face justice.”
Authorities said the theft was captured on video, prompting investigators from the FBI, DEA, U.S. Department of Homeland Security, Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, and the Hennepin County Violent Offender Task Force to identify and locate the suspect. Surveillance led to Gutierrez’s apprehension after he and an accomplice fled from a tow truck during an attempted traffic stop.
Federal immigration enforcement operations by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), meanwhile, continued across Minnesota on Tuesday amid protests, political pushback and legal challenges, according to local reporting.
The surge in ICE activity follows the Jan. 7 killing of Renée Good by an ICE agent in north Minneapolis and has drawn sustained opposition from community groups and state and local officials.
Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem indicated that arrests are imminent in connection with a protest at a St. Paul church over the weekend, where demonstrators disrupted services to denounce the pastor’s reported role with ICE.
