• Mamta Popat / Arizona Daily Star

Agents with Homeland Security Investigations carried out targeted enforcement operations at multiple Tucson restaurants early Friday morning, part of a years-long investigation into immigration and tax violations, federal officials said.

Two Tucson residents are facing federal criminal charges stemming from a clash between protesters and federal agents last week, following a targeted homeland security operation at Taco Giro in west Tucson.

Sheryl Anna Rowe was charged with assaulting a federal officer during the spontaneous protest that erupted after agents with Homeland Security Investigations executed search warrants at Taco Giro locations across Southern Arizona, including at the location on Grande Avenue. A spokesman for the U.S. Attorney's Office in Arizona said Rowe is being charged with felony assault.

Ryan Michael Seal was charged with the misdemeanor offense of damaging federal property, for allegedly breaking a federal vehicle's taillight, causing an estimated $900 in damage.

Both have been released from custody, pending their trials.

An officer with Homeland Security Investigations tussles with Sheryl Rowe outside of the Taco Giro restaurant at 610 N. Grande Ave. on Dec. 5.

On the morning of Dec. 5, protesters, Rapid Response members and reporters gathered outside Taco Giro on Grande Avenue near St. Mary's Road, as word spread of a federal enforcement operation and multiple arrests of immigrants in the area.

The protest grew chaotic after some attendees tried to prevent federal vehicles from leaving Taco Giro's parking lot. An HSI "Special Response Team" arrived and tried to clear the area, deploying flash-bang grenades and chemical irritants, including pepper balls and spray.

A Department of Homeland Security spokeswoman said last week two federal agents were "seriously injured" at the protest. 

In the criminal complaints against Rowe and Seal, two agents involved were only identified as "Special Agent R.G." and "Special Agent B.E.," respectively, both members of the HSI Special Response Team. 

Complaint details

The criminal complaint against Rowe described Rowe allegedly blocking a special agent as he tried to chase after a man who had damaged a federal vehicle, presumably Seal. Rowe allegedly stepped between the agent and the fleeing man and "forcibly grabbed" the agent's vest, causing him to fall, the complaint said. Rowe then fell on the agent, who was "pinned to the ground," according to the document.

Ryan Michael Seal is taken into custody by Homeland Security Investigation outside of the Taco Giro, 610 N. Grande Ave., on Dec. 5, 2025, after protesters and federal agents clashed.

"After the incident, Special Agent R.G. suffered pain in his right knee, right hip and right elbow, and sought medical attention," the complaint said.

The complaint against Seal alleges he "willfully damaged the taillight of an HSI SRT vehicle," then fled from the arrest team. While fleeing, Seal allegedly "ran through" Special Agent B.E.'s extended left arm, leaving the agent with "severe pain" in his arm. Seal was not charged with assault.

Witnesses and protest participants told the Star that tensions escalated with the arrival of the HSI Special Response Team. The special agents deployed force quickly after exiting their vehicle, said protest attendee Jim Vinal, who is 78.

"They escalated everything, with no warning," he said. "The special team hopped out of that van and started shooting non-lethal rounds at people. … There was no bullhorn (announcement) about, 'Please clear the area, or we’re going to have to use force.'"

Years-long investigation

The Dec. 5 targeted enforcement operation was the result of a years-long investigation into immigration and tax violations, led by HSI — the investigative arm of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement — and IRS Criminal Investigation, among other law enforcement partners, an ICE spokesman said last week.

Agents executed 16 search warrants at restaurants and residences across Southern Arizona.

No criminal charges have been announced, but during the operation, 46 people from Mexico were arrested at Taco Giro locations, or at their homes, for "administrative immigration violations," ICE's Fernando Burgos said in a Dec. 5 statement.

U.S. Rep. Adelita Grijalva, a Tucson Democrat, said she was among those affected by pepper spray at the Dec. 5 protest, which also hit local journalists covering the protest.

While DHS spokeswoman Tricia McLaughlin has denied Grijalva was targeted with pepper spray, one video shows an agent firing pepper balls at Grijalva's feet. Witnesses say Grijalva was visibly affected by the chemical irritants deployed around her.

Seal was at the DeConcini U.S. Courthouse on West Congress Street Tuesday for his second "initial appearance." Magistrate Judge Bruce Macdonald told the court he'd mistakenly dismissed the complaint against Seal during his first initial appearance on Monday, Dec. 8, and thanked Seal for returning to court.

Seal's attorney, Greg Kuykendall, said he'd be "remiss" not to state on the record his stance that the court no longer has jurisdiction in the case, due to the "information" — the charging document in the case — being dismissed on Monday, but not re-filed by the government's attorney.

That could give a future court an opportunity to question the validity of the proceedings against Seal, Kuykendall said after Tuesday's hearing.

Seal's partner of 10 years, Chava Shapiro, said she and Seal attended the Dec. 5 protest out of a sense of duty to protect their neighbors, as the "frightening" HSI operation unfolded. The couple has lived in Tucson since 2018, Shapiro said in a Tuesday email to reporters.

"As a Jewish educator, who has worked in Holocaust education, it is clear to me that the architecture of fascism is unfolding around us rapidly," she wrote. "We're resolute in our values and know we are in the company of beloved community. We also will continue to stand alongside other people targeted by the state, regardless of how the state might be targeting us now."

Seal faces a maximum sentence of up to one year in prison, and a maximum fine of $100,000, for the Class-A misdemeanor. His trial is set for Jan. 27, 2026, at 9 a.m., before Magistrate Judge Michael Ambri.

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Contact reporter Emily Bregel at ebregel@tucson.com. On X, formerly Twitter: @EmilyBregel