U.S. Department of Homeland Security officials alleged a 32-year-old Baltimore City man late last week “dangerously evaded” officers attempting to arrest and eventually deport him, which ultimately led to a multicar pileup and the man attempting to flee on foot.

The crash occurred on Thursday morning after ICE officers were conducting a “targeted operation” to arrest and detain Ever Alvarenga Rios, according to the federal authorities.

In a statement to the Banner on Sunday, Department of Homeland Security officials said that Alvarenga Rios first entered the country from Honduras in 2014 and, in 2018, a federal immigration judge issued a final order for his removal. His attorney said a motion in the case is still pending.

The statement from the agency alleged that Alvarenga Rios, who was on his way to work to install flooring, “slammed on his brakes,” causing the crash.

Federal officials also accused the immigrant of disobeying law enforcement commands when he fled, which caused them to use “the minimum amount of force necessary” to make the arrest.

Alvarenga Rios and the two officers involved were transported to a local hospital for treatment, including for a concussion, according to DHS. But the statement did not detail which people sustained injuries.

In addition to violating immigration law, Alvarenga Rios broke the law by obstructing law enforcement, which is a felony, federal authorities said.

Acting Assistant Secretary Lauren Bis said in a statement Sunday that “this dangerous attempt to resist arrest comes after sanctuary politicians have encouraged illegal aliens to evade arrest by hosting webinars instructing illegal aliens how to avoid being caught.”

Bis’ statement on Sunday did not address a series of questions from The Banner about the incident, including: how the agents were injured, their current conditions, the location of their treatment and the status of Alvarenga Rios’ access to legal counsel.

In their response, federal officials painted a vastly different picture than the account offered by Alvarenga Rios’ attorney, who has claimed his client’s work van was intentionally rammed by ICE agents.

Alvarenga Rios was released from the hospital Sunday night and taken to a federal immigration detention facility, according to Adam Crandell, Alvarenga Rios’ lawyer.

“We have an attorney attempting to visit him,” Crandell said Monday afternoon.

News of Alvarenga Rios’ injuries caught the attention of several elected leaders, including U.S. Sen. Chris Van Hollen, a Maryland Democrat, and Baltimore Mayor Brandon Scott, who have both spoken out in his favor.

In addition, Baltimore City Council member Mark Parker said he attempted to visit Alvarenga Rios in the hospital this weekend. He was also denied access, but added that he planned to try to visit him at the federal building downtown.