Man gets 21 months in prison for throwing rocks at CBP helicopter in Arizona

PHOENIX — A man was sentenced to 21 months in prison for throwing rocks at a Customs and Border Protection helicopter, authorities said Wednesday.

Hugo Alexander Garcia-Sales, 22, of Guatemala, received the sentence last week after pleading guilty in April on an assault charge, according to a press release.

Garcia-Sales threw five softball-sized rocks at the helicopter in the air on Oct. 13, 2022.

One of the rocks came within feet of hitting the aircraft, but none made contact.

Garcia-Sales, as part of his plea agreement, admitted that hitting the helicopter with a rock could have caused it to crash.

He also admitted he wasn’t an American citizen and entered the country illegally.

Border Patrol investigated the case.

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