Man Accused of Impersonating ICE Agent to Threaten and Extort Miami Food Vendor

Gonzalez-Reyes's charges include aggravated assault with a deadly weapon, impersonating an officer, unlawful use of a police badge or insignia, and unauthorized use of blue lights, based on Miami-Dade County jail records.

Surveillance Footage Reveals Intimidation

The primary incident was captured on surveillance footage on July 8, when Gonzalez-Reyes approached the food truck on Northwest 67th Avenue, armed with a gun and bearing a badge on his hip.

However, the scheme had been in motion weeks earlier, as the business owner, Luis Rodríguez, recounted to Telemundo 51.

The suspect initially visited the establishment, asserting himself as an authoritative figure within the immigration agency. "He started claiming he was a high-ranking ICE official, that he had served in the U.S. Army, that he was important, and that we could be friends," Rodríguez recalled.

Escalating Threats and Extortion Attempts

During another meeting, Gonzalez-Reyes staged a phone call to convince the vendor that his business was under immigration surveillance.

Rodríguez overheard him say, "Yes, there are three, two Nicaraguans and a Haitian. I'm with the owner, he's my friend." After hanging up, Gonzalez-Reyes suggested that a payment might be required for protection.

"He made sure to look me in the eye and say, 'I care about you, I want to help, but if you help me, I'll help you,'" Rodríguez remembered, prompting him to confront the impostor and tell him not to return.

Roughly a month later, the suspect returned with more severe threats. Surveillance cameras recorded part of the encounter with an employee.

"He said he could plant drugs on me and cause trouble or shoot me. He brandished the weapon and loaded it; my employee was terrified," the business owner described. At one point, Gonzalez-Reyes pointed the gun directly at the victim. As he left, he activated police sirens on his vehicle.

Community Concerns and Legal Proceedings

Rodríguez, a U.S. citizen, reported the incident because his status allowed him to do so without fear. His concern now is for those who didn't have the same opportunity.

"It's frustrating to think and know that this modus operandi could have been used elsewhere, with undocumented business owners or those seeking asylum," he warned. Miami-Dade authorities urged potential victims to contact the county's Crime Stoppers line.

Following his arrest, the suspect initially denied knowing the victim or visiting the business but later admitted to showing the weapon, claiming he had no bad intentions. He was taken to the Turner Guilford Knight Correctional Center.

This case is part of a documented pattern in South Florida, where criminals impersonate ICE agents to rob and intimidate immigrant communities.

Earlier in April, a fake immigration agency in Florida was dismantled after being accused of holding documents to extort undocumented applicants.