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Two Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) officers have been placed on administrative leave while federal authorities investigate whether they lied under oath about the January shooting of a Venezuelan man in Minneapolis.
ICE Director Todd Lyons announced Friday (February 13) that the agency had opened a joint probe with the Justice Department after video evidence contradicted sworn testimony from the officers involved in the January 14 incident.
The investigation has led to the dismissal of all charges against Julio Cesar Sosa-Celis, who was shot in the leg by an ICE officer, and Alfredo Alejandro Aljorna. U.S. District Court Judge Paul A. Magnuson dismissed the case with prejudice, meaning the charges cannot be resubmitted.
"Lying under oath is a serious federal offense," said Lyons, adding that the U.S. Attorney's Office is actively investigating the matter.
The officers, who remain unnamed, could face termination and potential criminal prosecution.
The incident began when ICE officers attempted to conduct a traffic stop on a vehicle driven by Aljorna. According to the initial government account, Aljorna crashed the vehicle, fled on foot, and violently resisted arrest. The complaint alleged that Sosa-Celis and another man attacked the officer with a snow shovel and broom handle during the struggle, prompting the officer to fire his weapon.
However, video evidence and testimony from eyewitnesses contradicted this account. During a January 21 court hearing, the ICE officer's testimony differed significantly from statements by the defendants and three eyewitnesses. Available video evidence did not support the agent's claim of being assaulted with a broom and snow shovel.
"The prosecutor's office did the right thing. They realized the evidence was completely different than what the agent claimed it was," Fred Goetz, Aljorna's attorney, told KMSP. "And so, I think they exhibited integrity and professionalism, and they did the right thing by dismissing the case with prejudice."
It remains unclear whether the men could still face deportation proceedings.
Brian D. Clark, an attorney representing Aljorna and Sosa-Celis, urged the government to release the name of the ICE agent and charge him "for his crime."