Louisville, KY — A federal jury in Kentucky has acquitted a Cuban national accused of assaulting Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) officers during an appointment at a Louisville immigration office, according to court records.
Laryen Torres-Carmona, who was living in Louisville, was charged with two counts of assaulting, resisting, or impeding certain officers or employees following an incident on Aug. 26, 2025, at a U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services office. Prosecutors alleged Torres-Carmona shoved one ICE officer and resisted arrest after officers took him into custody during his appointment.
Torres-Carmona went to trial on Jan. 27, and three days later a federal jury found him not guilty on both counts. U.S. District Judge Rebecca Grady dismissed the indictment following the verdict. Despite the acquittal, the judge ordered Torres-Carmona to remain in the custody of the U.S. Marshals Service due to an active immigration detainer, which makes him eligible for deportation.
“In coming to America, Laryen held a strong belief in the American dream, and that dream includes the benefits of the American justice system,” his attorney, Ashlea Hellmann, said in a statement. “We have maintained Laryen’s innocence this whole time, and that innocence being vindicated was a very emotional moment for him.”
Court documents state Torres-Carmona entered the United States on July 25, 2023, as a parolee. His parole expired on June 27, 2025. Records do not specify the reason for his parole, which allows individuals from certain North and Central American countries to enter the U.S. for humanitarian or family-related reasons.
Torres-Carmona had scheduled the Aug. 26 appointment months in advance in an attempt to obtain permanent residency or extend his parole. According to court filings, his application was denied, and a warrant was issued for his arrest. The reason for the denial was not disclosed.
Since arriving in the U.S., Torres-Carmona has faced several criminal charges, including theft and third-degree criminal trespassing filed on Aug. 29, 2024, and a first-degree strangulation charge filed on Aug. 17, 2025. The strangulation case remains active in Jefferson District Court, where a preliminary hearing is scheduled for Feb. 23.
Details of the incident outlined in court records say Torres-Carmona was escorted from the lobby into a secured area of the immigration office, where one officer communicated with him in Spanish. When Torres-Carmona attempted to return to the lobby, two ICE agents moved toward him. Authorities alleged he pushed an officer as agents attempted to handcuff him and resisted while being restrained against a wall.
Each charge Torres-Carmona faced carried a potential sentence of up to eight years in prison and a $250,000 fine.
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