Feds Probe Whether ICE Officers Lied After Minneapolis Shooting
A Feb. 13 joint ICE-DOJ review found video contradicting officers’ sworn testimony about a Jan. 14 Minneapolis shooting, and a judge dismissed related charges with prejudice.
Overview
On Feb. 13 ICE Director Todd Lyons said ICE and DOJ opened a joint probe after video contradicted two officers' sworn testimony about a Jan. 14 Minneapolis shooting.
On Feb. 13 U.S. District Judge Paul A. Magnuson dismissed with prejudice federal assault charges against Julio Cesar Sosa-Celis and Alfredo Alejandro Aljorna after U.S. Attorney Daniel N. Rosen cited newly discovered, materially inconsistent evidence.
Attorney Brian D. Clark said his clients were "overjoyed" and urged prosecutors to release the ICE agent's name and charge him.
Court filings say the officers were among thousands of Homeland Security personnel deployed to Minnesota, a deployment that followed other federal fatal shootings and drew local complaints.
Lyons said the officers could face termination and criminal prosecution at the conclusion of ICE's internal review, and court filings show Minnesota state authorities have opened a separate criminal investigation.
Analysis
Center-leaning sources frame the coverage skeptically toward ICE, emphasizing contradictions between DHS accounts and video/affidavit and foregrounding accountability. They lead with probes and "untruthful statements," pair the incident with prior federal deployments and civilian protests, and select eyewitness and legal details that undercut initial agency narratives.
Sources (6)
FAQ
On January 14, 2026, in North Minneapolis, ICE agents pursued a man who crashed into a snowbank and fled to a home. An altercation ensued where Julio Cesar Sosa-Celis and Alfredo Alejandro Aljorna allegedly assaulted the agent; Sosa-Celis was shot and both were charged federally with assault.
On February 13, 2026, U.S. District Judge Paul A. Magnuson dismissed the federal assault charges with prejudice after U.S. Attorney Daniel N. Rosen cited newly discovered video evidence materially inconsistent with the ICE officers' sworn testimony.
ICE Director Todd Lyons announced a joint ICE-DOJ probe into whether two officers lied in sworn testimony. The officers could face termination and criminal prosecution; Minnesota state authorities have opened a separate criminal investigation.
The officers were part of thousands of Homeland Security personnel deployed to Minnesota following other federal fatal shootings, including the January 7, 2026, fatal shooting of Renée Nicole Macklin Good by ICE agent Jonathan Ross, which drew local complaints.
History
3 sources