SAN ANTONIO – An immigrant who rammed U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) vehicles outside a North Side Walmart earlier this year was found guilty on Friday after less than three hours of deliberations.
Robyn Argote-Brooks, 25, faces up to 10 years in prison after he was convicted on a damaging government property charge.
Argote-Brooks was acquitted of forcibly assaulting a federal officer, which would have carried a prison sentence of up to 20 years.
His sentencing date has been set for Sept. 1. Argote-Brooks will remain in custody “not only for total conviction, but because of an immigration detainer,” U.S. District Court Judge Fred Biery said.
Argote-Brooks’ trial began on Wednesday. Prosecutors rested their case on Thursday morning after calling six witnesses to the stand over the course of two days. The witness list included multiple ICE officers.
On Thursday, Argote-Brooks explained what was going through his mind during his encounter with the ICE officers on Jan. 13 in the 12600 block of Blanco Road.
Federal authorities previously said officers attempted to make contact with Argote-Brooks after running his license plates and discovering his parole status — which had allowed him to remain in the United States — was terminated.
Video shown in court on Thursday captured the confrontation that prosecutors said led to the two federal charges against Argote-Brooks.
Testifying through a translator, Argote-Brooks said he was working for a delivery service and waiting for an order in the Walmart parking lot while watching videos on his phone when several men approached him.
“I told him, ‘I don’t speak English, and that I didn’t understand,’” Argote-Brooks told jurors.
He later told jurors that he became frightened after seeing masked men approach his vehicle.
“I was scared because I see somebody who is coming with a face mask covering his face and asking for my keys,” Argote-Brooks said in court on Thursday. “They haven’t identified themselves or told me what I did wrong.”
Argote-Brooks turned on the vehicle’s ignition and reversed into a government vehicle, then drove forward and crashed into another government-owned vehicle parked in front of his car, according to an arrest affidavit.
An ICE officer told jurors that he had parked his vehicle in front of Argote-Brooks but did not have time to get out before the collision. The officer testified that he suffered injuries that kept him out of work for about a week.
Argote-Brooks told the jury he never intended to hurt anyone.
During cross-examination on Thursday, Assistant U.S. Attorney Amy Marie Walker questioned Argote-Brooks about whether he knew his immigration status had changed and whether he had received notice that his legal status in the United States had been terminated.
Argote-Brooks repeatedly testified that he never received any notice and did not believe he had done anything wrong.
According to documents discussed in court, his parole status — which allowed him to remain legally in the United States — was terminated in May 2025.
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