Minnesota Protest Against Border Patrol Turns Chaotic: Arrests Reveal Agitators' Criminal Histories

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In Minnesota, multiple protesters detained outside a hotel where they assumed Border Patrol Chief Gregory Bovino was lodged have previous criminal histories. One individual even promoted the motto “disrupt disturb resist” on Instagram.

The group gathered outside SpringHill Suites by Marriott in Maple Grove on Monday night with the belief that Bovino was present. Authorities made arrests after declaring the protest an unlawful assembly due to its shift away from being peaceful.

Maple Grove police reported that they were called to the hotel in response to a protest. The situation escalated as some protesters allegedly began vandalizing property and hurling objects at officers.

Authorities arrested several individuals who reportedly refused to disperse after an order was issued declaring the gathering unlawful.

Law enforcement officers stand during a protest

Law enforcement stood firm during a protest at SpringHill Suites and Residence Inn by Marriott on Monday, January 26, 2026, in Maple Grove, Minnesota. (AP)

“The Maple Grove Police Department respects and upholds the First Amendment rights of individuals to peacefully assemble and express their views. Our priority remains the safety and security of all residents, visitors, and property within our community,” police said in a statement to KSTP. “At that point, the activity was no longer considered peaceful. Individuals participating in criminal acts are not protected under the First Amendment and were subject to arrest.”

Here are the 13 people arrested by police after protesting outside the hotel where they believed Bovino was staying:

Justin Neal Shelton

Mugshot of Justin Neal Shelton. (Hennepin County Sheriff)

Justin Neal Shelton was arrested on charges of obstructing legal process. In 2007, Shelton pleaded guilty to a charge of first-degree aggravated robbery after prosecutors said he beat up a pregnant woman while he and another individual were trying to steal her car, according to the Pioneer Press.

When the woman asked Shelton and the other person to leave, they knocked her to the ground and kept kicking her, even striking her with a bottle. The woman’s fetus wasn’t harmed in the incident.

Shelton was sentenced to almost five years in prison. At sentencing, Shelton apologized for his role in the attack.

“First of all, I want to say how sorry I am,” Shelton said. “Even though I was intoxicated at the time, that does not justify my wrongdoing.”

In October 2020, Shelton was also convicted of possessing a firearm or ammunition after committing a violent crime, court records show.

Abraham Nelson Coleman

Mugshot of Abraham Nelson Coleman. (Hennepin County Sheriff)

Abraham Nelson Coleman, 45, was arrested on charges of damage to property. Previously, Coleman has been convicted of the following crimes since 2003:

– Theft

– Felony theft

– Damage to property

– Theft

Jaylynn Marie Rodriguez

Mugshot of Jaylynn Marie Rodriguez. (Hennepin County Sheriff)

Jaylynn Marie Rodriguez, 24, was arrested on charges of riot. According to her LinkedIn, Rodriguez is a 1L student at the University of Minnesota Law School. She attended Macalester College with a BA in sociology. While at Macalester College, she was a cultural programming coordinator for the Latinx Student Union and program assistant for the Lealtad-Suzuki Center for Social Justice.

Rayna Michelle Alston

Mugshot of Rayna Michelle Alston. (Hennepin County Sheriff)

Rayna Michelle Alston, 21, was arrested on charges of riot. Alston, a resident of Minneapolis, wrote “disrupt disturb resist” on her Instagram biography section. One of her most recent Instagram stories promotes a “Nationwide shutdown” on Jan. 30.

“No work. No School. No Shopping,” the Instagram story reads.

Josephine Jay Guilbeau

Mugshot of Josephine Jay Guilbeau. (Hennepin County Sheriff)

Josephine Jay Guilbeau, 37, was arrested on charges of riot. She was escorted out of a U.S. Senate hearing in September after she allegedly disrupted the hearing and accused committee members of being “complicit” in genocide in Israel, according to Democracy Now.

Guilbeau posted an Instagram video on Monday night showing her with agitators, calling the police response a “military operation.”

Freya Ebbesen

Mugshot of Freya James Ebbesen.

Freya Ebbesen, 23, was arrested on charges of riot. According to Ebbesen’s LinkedIn, she’s a birth assistant and clinic nurse at The Minnesota Birth Center. She graduated from the University of Wisconsin-Madison with a bachelor’s degree in nursing studies.

Cashmere Hamilton-Grunau

Mugshot of Cashmere Ladane Hamilton-Grunau. (Hennepin County Sheriff)

Cashmere Hamilton-Grunau, 19, was arrested on charges of riot. According to his Facebook account, Hamilton-Grunau attended Morehouse College, where he played football.