A St. Paul woman has been federally charged with assaulting, resisting, or impeding certain officers or employees in connection to last week’s chaos on East Lake Street involving federal agents, announced Acting U.S. Attorney Joseph Thompson.
The charges against Isabel Lopez, 27, stem from a clash between protesters and federal agents last Tuesday while they were executing a warrant at a Mexican business near Lake Street and Bloomington Avenue in south Minneapolis. Early rumors spread on social media of a possible immigration raid, with activists calling for others to flood the area.
Crowds started forming around mid-morning and escalated to pushing, shoving, and throwing trash, while others tried to block law enforcement vehicles from driving in the area.
Law enforcement images included in the federal complaint against Lopez appear to show Lopez among a crowd engaging with fully marked law enforcement personnel in uniforms.
JUST IN: Isabel Lopez, 27, charged federally with assaulting law enforcement during recent Lake Street raid in Minneapolis.
According to the U.S. Attorney's office, federal agents were executing 8 search warrants related to a long-term investigation into narcotics trafficking,… pic.twitter.com/F1WzjVjK8v
— Anthony Gockowski (@AntGockowski) June 10, 2025
Video from a reporter with Sahan Journal captured another angle that appeared to show Lopez in a fray with federal officers before she was pulled away by a bystander.
Scuffle between FBI and crowd on lake street. More tear gas out. @SahanJournal pic.twitter.com/09gBvSYnqd
— Andrew Hazzard (@ATHazzard) June 3, 2025
The confrontations went on for several hours into the early afternoon. Officers with the Minneapolis Police Department eventually arrived at the scene, along with Police Chief Brian O’Hara and Assistant Chief Katie Blackwell, who later took heat from Minneapolis City Council members and activists who claimed MPD was assisting ICE. Both Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey and Chief O’Hara issued statements that MPD arrived and acted merely in a crowd control capacity to maintain public safety.
It was later learned from authorities that the raid activity involved multiple federal agencies in connection to several criminal search warrants related to drug and human trafficking and money laundering linked to transnational cartel activity.
The Hennepin County Sheriff’s Office later confirmed that it had been aware of and assisted in the criminal investigation that resulted in the execution of several warrants. Sheriff Dawanna Witt later publicly chastised elected officials as “highly irresponsible,” including Hennepin County commissioners, for “putting out the rhetoric that it was an immigration enforcement,” which could have potentially led to riots.
The criminal complaint against Lopez went on to detail parts of the criminal investigation and execution of eight warrants, including at Cuatro Milpas on East Lake Street. During one of the warrant searches in Burnsville, 900 pounds of methamphetamine was located in a storage unit.
Other details from the U.S. Attorney’s press release and criminal complaint:
According to court documents, on June 3, 2025, law enforcement officers from multiple federal agencies were executing federal search warrants at eight Twin Cities locations. These search warrants were related to a long-term investigation into narcotics trafficking, money laundering, human trafficking, and related offenses. The investigation began with the seizure of 900 pounds of methamphetamine, with a street value of between $22 million and $25 million.
One of the search warrant locations was the Cuatro Milpas restaurant on Lake Street in Minneapolis. Shortly after the search warrant execution began, a crowd began to gather. The crowd appeared to be under the mistaken belief that law enforcement was present to arrest individuals illegally present in the country for immigration offenses. This was incorrect. In fact, agents were there to collect evidence pursuant to a federal search warrant signed by a federal judge. Indeed, no one was arrested that day. Recognizing the apparent misunderstanding, law enforcement explained the nature of the search warrant to crowd members.
Some people in the crowd engaged in legal protest activity. Lopez, as detailed below, obstructed, impeded, and assaulted federal agents and officers, in violation of federal law. Lopez physically assaulted several agents and officers. She punched, kicked, and shoved agents and officers. Crowd members moved to restrain Lopez. Even as they were doing so, Lopez kicked an FBI agent. Lopez continued to assault federal agents and officers. As law enforcement attempted to depart the scene, Lopez threw a softball at the back of a deputy from the Hennepin County Sheriff’s Office.
On June 9, 2025, Lopez was charged by complaint with Assaulting, Resisting, and Impeding Officers, in violation of 18 U.S.C. § 111(a)(1). When federal agents attempted to arrest Lopez, she punched an FBI agent in the head.
Today, June 10, 2025, a federal grand jury returned a four-count indictment against defendant Lopez. The grand jury charged Lopez with three counts of Assaulting, Resisting, and Impeding Officers, in violation of 18 U.S.C. § 111(a)(1)—two counts related to the assaults Lopez committed during the June 3rd search warrant execution and one count related to Lopez punching an FBI agent at the time of her arrest. The grand jury also charged Lopez with one count of Obstruction of Law Enforcement During Civil Disorder, in violation of 18 U.S.C. § 231(a)(3).
“As laid out in the complaint, federal agents were executing federal search warrants signed by a federal judge,” said Acting U.S. Attorney Joseph H. Thompson. “The search warrants were part of a long-term drug trafficking, money laundering, and human trafficking investigation involving a transnational criminal organization. The defendant physically attacked law enforcement agents in the course of their duties, even as the crowd tried to hold her back. When the defendant was arrested, she doubled-down, punching an FBI agent in the head. Let me make clear: it is against the law to assault or obstruct federal law enforcement agents. We do not punch cops.”
“Assaulting a law enforcement officer engaged in their lawful duties, or damaging government property during a protest, is not protected under the First Amendment—it is a criminal offense,” said Special Agent in Charge Alvin M. Winston Sr. of FBI Minneapolis. “The FBI, along with our law enforcement partners, will use every available resource to investigate these acts, identify those responsible, and ensure they are held accountable under the law.”
“Our agents were lawfully performing their duties when they were surrounded and obstructed by individuals attempting to interfere with a federal operation. Let me be clear—interfering with federal law enforcement is a crime, and those responsible will be identified and held accountable,” said ICE Homeland Security Investigations Special Agent in Charge Jamie Holt. “HSI and its partners operate with professionalism, purpose, and the full backing of the law. I fully support the men and women who put themselves in harm’s way every day to uphold public safety. No one should face threats, intimidation, or violence while carrying out the duties entrusted to them by the American people. The safety of our agents and officers will never be compromised.”
“Respect for the rule of law is the foundation of our justice system,” said Special Agent in Charge of ATF Travis Riddle. “When federal law enforcement officers are executing a lawful search warrant, which is part of ensuring due process, interference, especially violent interference, will not be tolerated. Anyone who chooses to escalate these situations and assault officers should expect to be held accountable. Actions have consequences.”
“Assaulting a federal agent is not only a criminal act–it is an attack on an individual, a member of our community, and the integrity of the justice system itself,” said Ramsey E. Covington, Special Agent in Charge of IRS Criminal Investigation, Chicago Field Office. “Acts of violence against federal agents will not be tolerated and will be met with swift and appropriate action. This arrest underscores our commitment to upholding the rule of law without compromise and ensuring offenders who attempt to obstruct justice are held fully accountable.”
The criminal complaint also describes and contains images of items seized in some of the eight warrants executed in Bloomington, Burnsville, Inver Grove Heights, Lakeville, Minneapolis, and Northfield as part of the investigation.
Gold-plated firearms were seized from a residence in Northfield.
Documents and artwork depicting scenes from “Scarface” were recovered from a Burnsville residence. The criminal complaint noted that similar images are often observed by law enforcement in homes and businesses of those engaged in drug and related money laundering trades.
No arrests have yet been made in connection to the criminal drug and money laundering investigation, and portions of search warrants remain sealed while the investigation continues.
Lopez made her initial appearance in U.S. District Court Tuesday, before Magistrate Judge John F. Docherty. She will remain detained pending a detention hearing.
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Minnesota Crime Watch & Information publishes news, info and commentary about crime, public safety and livability issues in Minneapolis, the Twin Cities and Greater Minnesota.
Crime Watch MN
Minnesota Crime Watch & Information publishes news, info and commentary about crime, public safety and livability issues in Minneapolis, the Twin Cities and Greater Minnesota.
