Illegal Immigrant Charged with Shooting at Texas Police Helicopters

HOUSTON, Texas — Houston Police Department investigators arrested an illegal immigrant on charges that he allegedly fired a handgun at police helicopters. The incident occurred as the man allegedly fired on police aircraft responding to the crash of a Houston Police Department helicopter that killed one officer and critically injured the pilot. An immigration judge ordered the illegal alien to be removed from the U.S. earlier this year.

Court records obtained by Breitbart Texas show that Houston police officers arrested 19-year-old Josue Daniel Claros-Trajedo on Friday in connection to shots being fired at multiple police helicopters. During his booking process, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) Enforcement and Removal Operations officers placed an immigration detainer on the foreign national.

Harris County jail officials confirmed to Breitbart Texas that Claros-Trajedo has an immigration hold and was born outside the United States. They would not confirm his country of birth and nationality as of press time.

Information provided to Breitbart Texas by ICE officials identified Claros-Trajedo as a Honduran national illegally present in the United States. ICE placed an immigration detainer on the illegal alien on May 3 after Houston police officers arrested him and booked him into the Harris County Jail.

ICE officials said, “Claros-Trajedo illegally entered the United States on April 28, 2018, near Hidalgo, Texas. On Oct. 17, 2019, he was granted voluntary departure by a federal immigration judge, however, he has since appealed that decision. His immigration proceedings remain ongoing. ICE will seek to take custody of Claros-Trajedo upon his release from local custody at the conclusion of his criminal proceedings. ”

Court records reported by KTRK ABC13 in Houston say Claros-Trajedo fired at least five shots from two different locations at HPD and Texas Department of Public Safety helicopters. The helicopters were hovering over the scene of the crash of another HPD helicopter that killed Tactical Flight Officer Jason Knox, 35, and critically injured the pilot, Senior Officer Chase Cormier, 35.

Claros-Trajedo is also charged with felony tampering with evidence after he allegedly hid the handgun inside an air conditioner vent in an apartment. Police later recovered the handgun.

Harris County Assistant District Attorney Sean Teare told reporters, “We have surveillance video showing him (Claros-Trajedo) firing at the helicopters, yes. That’s unacceptable,” the ABC affiliate reported.

KTRK reported that Claros-Trajedo is a Honduran national. Breitbart Texas has not confirmed that information.

Court records show that the Honduran national is being held on two felony counts of aggravated assault against a public servant, one charge of tampering with physical evidence, a misdemeanor charge of discharging a firearm in a metropolitan area, a misdemeanor charge of carrying a handgun in a motor vehicle, a misdemeanor charge of unlawful carrying of a weapon, and a misdemeanor charge of reckless driving. Bond is set on the tampering with evidence charge at $100,000.

KTRK reported that investigators said that Claros-Trajedo may have been drunk when he allegedly fired the shots at the helicopters.

The funeral for Officer Knox was held on Saturday morning. Knox, is the only son of former Houston Police officer and current Houston City Council Member Mike Knox.

Bob Price serves as associate editor and senior news contributor for the Breitbart Texas-Border team. He is an original member of the Breitbart Texas team. Price is a regular panelist on Fox 26 Houston’s What’s Your Point? Sunday-morning talk show. Follow him on Twitter @BobPriceBBTX and Facebook.

Editor’s Note: This article has been updated to reflect new information provided by ICE regarding the status of Claros-Trajedo. ICE officials initially reported that an immigration judge issued a final order of removal following a voluntary removal agreement that was not executed. That has been changed to reflect that Claros-Trajedo appealed the voluntary removal and that appeal is pending.