Woman Accused of Punching FBI Agent During Drug Raid Protest

Jun 10

A Saint Paul woman has been indicted for attacking officers during a Lake Street drug raid and punching an FBI agent during her arrest.

Isabel Lopez, 27, is charged with three counts of assaulting, resisting, or impeding federal officers and one count of obstructing law enforcement during civil disorder, according to federal court records.

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The charges stem from a June 3 narcotics search warrant operation involving multiple agencies at Cuatro Milpas, a restaurant located on East Lake Street near Bloomington Avenue in Minneapolis.

Federal agents were executing warrants at eight locations that day as part of an ongoing investigation into a transnational criminal organization connected to drug trafficking, human trafficking, and money laundering. The case began with the seizure of 900 pounds of methamphetamine from a storage unit in Burnsville, with an estimated street value between $22 and $25 million.

*A photo included in the federal complaint shows Lopez approaching FBI SWAT officers as they executed a drug search warrant on June 3 in Minneapolis.*

While agents were conducting the court-authorized search at the Lake Street restaurant, a crowd formed outside. Authorities said some bystanders believed the search was related to immigration enforcement, but law enforcement made clear that no arrests were taking place and that the operation was related solely to the narcotics investigation.

Lopez, however, reportedly became aggressive toward federal agents. According to the complaint, she punched, kicked, and shoved several officers on scene. Others in the crowd attempted to hold her back, but she still managed to kick an FBI agent and later threw a softball at the back of a Hennepin County Sheriff’s deputy as officers left the area.

Agents were forced to leave the scene earlier than planned due to the growing crowd, which became increasingly confrontational. As a result, law enforcement was unable to collect all the evidence from the building.

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Federal agents arrested Lopez on June 9. During the arrest, she allegedly punched an FBI agent in the head. The indictment returned the next day formally charged Lopez for both the June 3 incident and the alleged assault at the time of her arrest.

Acting U.S. Attorney Joseph Thompson said in a statement that Lopez’s actions interfered with a lawful search warrant tied to a significant drug and trafficking case. “The defendant physically attacked law enforcement agents in the course of their duties, even as the crowd tried to hold her back,” he said. “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.”

FBI Special Agent in Charge Alvin Winston stated that while peaceful protest is protected, physical violence is not. “The FBI will use every available resource to investigate these acts, identify those responsible, and ensure they are held accountable under the law.”

Agents from Homeland Security Investigations, the DEA, ATF, IRS Criminal Investigation, the U.S. Marshals Service and the Hennepin County Sheriff’s Office were all involved in the operation and subsequent arrest.

Lopez made her initial appearance Tuesday in U.S. District Court. She remains in custody pending a detention hearing.

Authorities have not said whether any further arrests are expected.

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