ICE Officers Face Criminal Probe for False Testimony in Minneapolis Shooting

Video Evidence Exposes Contradictions in Officers' Sworn Statements

Federal authorities have opened a criminal probe into whether two immigration officers lied under oath about the shooting of a Venezuelan man in Minneapolis last month. A joint review by ICE and Department of Justice of video evidence has revealed that sworn testimony provided by two separate officers appears to have made untruthful statements. The development marks a dramatic reversal in a case that initially portrayed immigration agents as victims of a violent assault.

In a highly unusual motion to dismiss filed Thursday, U.S. Attorney for the District of Minnesota Daniel N. Rosen said "newly discovered evidence" was "materially inconsistent with the allegations" made against the two Venezuelan men. The Department of Justice abruptly dropped charges against Alfredo Alejandro Aljorna and Julio Cesar Sosa-Celis, who had been federally charged with assaulting ICE officers.

The officers — who were not named — had been placed on administrative leave, pending the outcome of the Department of Justice's investigation. The two officers "may face termination of employment, as well as potential criminal prosecution," upon conclusion of the investigation.

Original Claims Fall Apart Under Scrutiny

An FBI investigator said in an affidavit that ICE officers attempted to conduct a traffic stop on a vehicle driven by Aljorna on Jan. 14. He crashed the vehicle and fled on foot toward the apartment duplex where he lived. An immigration officer chased Aljorna who — according to the government — violently resisted arrest. The complaint alleges Sosa-Celis and another man attacked the officer with a snow shovel and a broom handle as the officer and Aljorna struggled on the ground. The officer fired his handgun, striking Sosa-Celis in his right thigh.

After the shooting, Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem attacked Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz and Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey, accusing the Democrats of "encouraging impeding and assault against our law enforcement which is a federal crime, a felony." "What we saw last night in Minneapolis was an attempted murder of federal law enforcement," Noem said in a Jan. 15 statement. "Our officer was ambushed and attacked by three individuals who beat him with snow shovels and the handles of brooms. Fearing for his life, the officer fired a defensive shot."

A filing from Sosa-Celis' lawyer states that neither multiple witnesses nor surveillance footage supported the officer's claim that he was struck by a broom or shovel or that Sosa-Celis had any physical contact with him at all. "The charges against them were based on lies by an ICE agent who recklessly shot into their home through a closed door," said attorney Brian D. Clark.

Pattern of Problematic ICE Operations

The dismissal of the charges against Aljorna and Sosa-Celis follows a string of high-profile shootings involving federal immigration agents in which eyewitness statements and video evidence have called into question claims made to justify using deadly force. Dozens of felony cases against protesters accused of assaulting or impeding federal officers have also crumbled.

The shooting of Sosa-Celis, which happened after nightfall with fewer bystanders, did not attract the same outcry as the daytime killings of U.S. citizens Renee Good and Alex Pretti by immigration officers in Minnesota, which were recorded on multiple cell phones. The Department of Justice is also conducting a civil rights probe into the shooting of Pretti, a 37-year-old Veterans Affairs nurse killed by Homeland Security officers in Minneapolis on Jan. 24.

Broader Implications for Immigration Enforcement

A lawyer for Aljorna and Sosa-Celis said Friday that they are "overjoyed" that all the charges have been dismissed. Had they been convicted, the two immigrants would have faced years in federal prison. According to court filings, Sosa-Celis "came to this country illegally to escape the violence and insecurity he faced in Venezuela" and was subsequently granted Temporary Protected Status. He has a young son and most recently worked for DoorDash.

This news comes just a day after Border Czar Tom Homan announced the end of ICE's Operation Metro Surge in Minneapolis. The criminal investigation into the officers' testimony raises serious questions about the reliability of sworn statements from federal agents during high-stakes immigration operations. As these cases continue to unravel, they underscore the critical importance of video evidence and independent witness accounts in holding law enforcement accountable for their actions under oath.