Immigration officers investigated over shooting of Venezuelan man in Minneapolis

Name: ICE shooting in north Minneapolis: What we know so far
Uploaded: 2026-02-13T14:39:01-06:00
Description: Here's what we know so far in the ICE shooting in north Minneapolis.

ICE shooting in north Minneapolis: What we know so far

Here's what we know so far in the ICE shooting in north Minneapolis.

MINNEAPOLIS (FOX 9) - Following the decision by the Department of Justice (DOJ) to drop charges against two Venezeulan men following an immigration agent shooting one of them after an altercation in north Minneapolis on Jan. 14, federal authorities have reportedly opened a criminal investigation into whether two immigration officers lied under oath about what happened.

ICE officers criminal investigation

What we know:

ICE Director Todd Lyons said Friday that the agency has opened a joint probe with the DOJ after video evidence revealed "sworn testimony provided by two separate officers appears to have made untruthful statements."

The officers, who have not yet been identified despite calls for transparency from both the public and Minnesota officials, have reportedly been placed on administrative leave pending the outcome of the investigation.

In court filings following the shooting, the ICE officers' accounts of the moments before the shooting occurred have differed significantly from testimony from the two defendants and multiple eyewitnesses.

Depending on the investigation’s findings, the officers could ultimately face termination from the department, in addition to criminal prosecution.

Federal vehicles ransacked after ICE shooting in north Minneapolis

The FBI is offering a reward of up to $100,000 for information after "several" federal vehicles were vandalized Wednesday night. The FBI is offering a reward related to Wednesday night’s vandalism and theft of government property. They’re seeking to recover stolen property, and to find the individuals responsible for the vandalism.

What they're saying:

"The men and women of ICE are entrusted with upholding the rule of law and are held to the highest standards of professionalism, integrity and ethical conduct," Lyons said on Friday in a statement to FOX 9. "Violations of this sacred sworn oath will not be tolerated. ICE remains fully committed to transparency, accountability, and the fair enforcement of our nation’s immigration laws."

Speaking with FOX 9, Aljorna's attorney, Fred Goetz, says it has always been the defense position that there was no assault, and that "the guys were running away" from the agent when Sosa-Celis was shot.

"The prosecutor’s office did the right thing. They realized the evidence was completely different than what the agent claimed it was," Goetz told FOX 9. "And so, I think they exhibited integrity and professionalism, and they did the right thing by dismissing the case with prejudice, so Mr. Aljorna can never be charged in this case again.

The backstory:

State investigators say Minneapolis police responded to the 600 block of 24th Avenue North just before 7 p.m.

Initial reporting detailed federal agents were pursuing a man in a vehicle who had crashed into a snowbank. The man then ran to a nearby home, where a pursuing agent caught up with him and attempted to make an arrest.

An "altercation" between the agent and suspect then ensued, which led to two other people arriving from a nearby apartment, and all three attacking the officer – one armed with a broomstick, according to DHS.

"After officers reached the person, two other people arrived from a nearby apartment and all three started attacking the officer," DHS later said in a statement.

Occurring only one week after the shooting death of Renee Good in south Minneapolis, community members then rallied to protest the immigration enforcement officials involved.

State investigators were able to recover a plastic shovel and photographed the scene before leaving the area that night.
A search warrant was served on Wednesday, Jan. 21, with the BCA saying its personnel recovered a broom, a shell casing and a bullet in the process.

Julio Sosa-Celis, 24, a Venezuelan national, was taken to the hospital for treatment of a non-life-threatening gunshot wound, while Alfredo Alejandro Aljorna, 26, was also arrested in its aftermath. Both were charged with assaulting a federal immigration agent.