Ecuadorian National Juliana Milena Ojeda-Montoya Arrested by ICE in Fitchburg Following Violent Assault Charges

FITCHBURG, Mass. – U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents arrested Juliana Milena Ojeda-Montoya, a 24-year-old Ecuadorian national, on Thursday, November 6, 2025, in Fitchburg. The targeted vehicle stop aimed to apprehend Ojeda-Montoya, identified as an unlawfully present noncitizen with an outstanding warrant for a violent assault. The arrest was executed by ICE’s Enforcement and Removal Operations (ERO) Boston field office.

Ojeda-Montoya is accused of assault and battery with a dangerous weapon, specifically scissors, and assault and battery for throwing a trash can, stemming from an incident in August 2025 where she allegedly stabbed a coworker. She also faces charges of providing a false name to law enforcement. This apprehension followed a period where she had been at large after failing to comply with immigration directives.

According to the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), Ojeda-Montoya illegally entered the United States on February 22, 2023, near Lukeville, Arizona, and was subsequently released into the country in March 2023 "under the Biden administration." She later failed to report to ERO as required, and an immigration judge ordered her removed from the U.S. on October 23, 2023.

During the arrest, Ojeda-Montoya’s husband, Carlos Sebastian Zapata, and their child were in the car. DHS Assistant Secretary Tricia McLaughlin stated in a social media post, > "The target threw the child into the arms of her husband while he purported to have a medical episode, though refused medical help and displayed absolutely no signs of medical concerns just moments later." Emergency medical personnel on the scene reportedly found no legitimate medical episode, and Ojeda-Montoya refused medical care. However, Zapata claims the medical incident was triggered after immigration agents pressed on his neck.

The arrest scene became contentious, with "agitators" attempting to impede the process, prompting Fitchburg police to respond for crowd control. Fitchburg police confirmed a hostile crowd was gathering and sent backup, temporarily closing Kimball Street. The Fitchburg Police Department is conducting an after-action review regarding their officers' involvement in the incident. Ojeda-Montoya remains in ICE custody at the Cumberland County Jail in Portland, Maine.