Long Island postal worker helps ICE detainee escape, then berates agents in bilingual rant
Tamara Mayorga-won is accused of helping an ICE detainee temporarily escape custody. Brigitte Stelzer
A Long Island postal worker allegedly assisted an Immigration and Customs Enforcement detainee in temporarily escaping custody outside a Westhampton post office and confronted federal agents in both English and Spanish, according to a criminal complaint unsealed Thursday.
Tamara Mayorga-Wong, 57, is accused of opening the door of an official vehicle where a handcuffed detainee was being held and urging him to run before attempting to drive away in her own car, court documents state.
Authorities say the detainee was quickly recaptured, and Mayorga-Wong fled through the post office building before getting into her vehicle in a back parking lot, locking the doors, and attempting to drive away. Agents ordered her to exit the car, and she was eventually removed by force, the complaint said.
During the confrontation, Mayorga-Wong reportedly shouted, “Why are you doing this to your people?” in both Spanish and English, while kicking and flailing at officers. She also questioned the agents about their nationality and children, asking, “What are you going to tell your children about what you do?”
Court records indicate that Mayorga-Wong had witnessed agents in “HSI Police” jackets detain a man outside the post office and demanded to see a warrant, stating, “you can’t do this.” Agents told her she could review the warrant at a local office and provided an address before the alleged escape incident.
Mayorga-Wong now faces federal obstruction charges, which carry a potential sentence of up to 20 years in prison, depending on the statute applied by prosecutors. It remains unclear whether she personally knew the detainee, and details regarding the detainee’s arrest or detention location have not been disclosed.
At her arraignment in Suffolk County federal court on Thursday, Mayorga-Wong appeared shackled at the ankles, quietly crying and scanning the gallery for family before the judge entered. She was released the same day after posting a $50,000 bond.
Attorneys for both parties declined to comment outside of court.
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