ICE says federal agents appear to have lied about confrontation that led to shooting

Source: Politico

02/13/2026 02:37 PM EST


Two federal officers appear to have lied about an incident last month in Minneapolis that ended with one of them shooting a Venezuelan immigrant in the leg, ICE Acting Director Todd Lyons said Friday. The two officers are under investigation by the Justice Department, Lyons said. The announcement comes one day after federal prosecutors dropped the criminal cases against two immigrants in connection with the Jan. 14 episode.

Department of Homeland Security leaders, including Secretary Kristi Noem, had previously defended the officers, saying they had fended off an “attempted murder” and that one officer had fired in self-defense. “A joint review by ICE and the Department of Justice (DOJ) of video evidence has revealed that sworn testimony provided by two separate officers appears to have made untruthful statements,” Lyons said in a statement.

“Both officers have been immediately placed on administrative leave pending the completion of a thorough internal investigation….The U.S. Attorney’s Office is actively investigating these false statements.” Agents had initially said that two men — Alfredo Aljorna and Julio Sosa Celis – assaulted them with a broom and a shovel before one of them shot Sosa Celis. But that account was quickly called into question, and prosecutors now say “newly discovered evidence” contradicts the officers’ story.

Local law enforcement and prosecutors are also investigating the incident. The reversal by ICE comes a day after the White House announced it was ending its surge of federal immigration enforcement officers in the Twin Cities and after a judge excoriated the Trump administration for violating rights of immigration detainees held at a local facility.

Read more: https://www.politico.com/news/2026/02/13/ice-minneapolis-shooting-assault-00780839