ICE suspends two officers after judge throws out charges in Minneapolis shooting case
ICE Director Todd Lyons said the review concerns “sworn testimony” from “two separate officers” that “appears” to include “untruthful statements.”
Two U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) officers have been placed on administrative leave as ICE and the Justice Department (DOJ) open a joint probe following video evidence that undercut parts of the official account of a Minneapolis arrest in which a Venezuelan man was shot in the leg.
ICE Director Todd Lyons said the review concerns “sworn testimony” from “two separate officers” that “appears” to include “untruthful statements.” “Lying under oath is a serious federal offense,” Lyons said, adding the officers could face termination and potential criminal prosecution depending on the outcome of the internal investigation.
The case stems from a Jan. 14 operation in Minneapolis. According to the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), Julio Cesar Sosa-Celis fled after a traffic stop and was then shot in the leg. In its initial description, DHS said an ICE officer was “ambushed” and attacked with a snow shovel and a broom handle, and fired a “defensive shot” fearing for his life.
Following that narrative, federal prosecutors charged Sosa-Celis and another Venezuelan man, Alfredo Alejandro Aljorna, in connection with the alleged assault on the officer. This week, however, prosecutors moved to dismiss the case, with the U.S. attorney citing “newly discovered evidence” that was “materially inconsistent” with allegations set out in the criminal complaint and at a prior hearing.
U.S. District Judge Paul A. Magnuson granted the request and dismissed the case “with prejudice,” meaning the charges cannot be refiled on the same facts. Court reporting on the hearing said the officer’s account was not corroborated by available video and diverged from testimony by the defendants and other witnesses.
The episode unfolds amid heightened scrutiny of DHS enforcement tactics in Minneapolis and broader political debate in Washington over oversight and accountability in immigration operations.
