A criminal investigation has been opened to determine whether two unnamed immigration officers lied under oath about the shooting of a Venezuelan man in Minneapolis last month.
“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,” Tricia McLaughlin, the Department of Homeland Security’s Assistant Secretary for Public Affairs, said in a statement on Friday, Feb. 13.
According to the statement, both officers “have been immediately placed on administrative leave pending the completion of a thorough internal investigation.” It added that lying under oath is a serious federal offense and that the U.S. Attorney’s Office is actively investigating the alleged false statements.
“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,” the statement continued. “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.”
Earlier on Friday, Feb. 13, U.S. District Court Judge Paul A. Magnuson dismissed with prejudice felony assault charges against Alfredo Alejandro Aljorna and Julio Cesar Sosa-Celis stemming from a Jan. 14 incident, according to court documents.
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A criminal complaint shows the two men were accused of striking an ICE officer with a broom handle and a snow shovel while attempting to evade arrest. During the incident, Sosa-Celis suffered a “non-life-threatening gunshot wound to his upper right thigh.”
U.S. Attorney for the District of Minnesota Daniel N. Rosen later filed a motion to dismiss, writing that “newly discovered evidence in this matter is materially inconsistent with the allegations in the Complaint Affidavit, filed on January 16, 2026, as ECF 1-1, as well as the preliminary-hearing testimony (ECF 18, 19) that was based on information presented to the Affiant.”
“Accordingly, dismissal with prejudice will serve the interests of justice,” the filing added.
Attorney Brian D. Clark, the immigration lawyer representing Aljorna and Sosa-Celis, said his clients were “overjoyed” that all charges had been dismissed.
“The charges against them were based on lies by an ICE agent who recklessly shot into their home through a closed door,” Clark said. “They are so happy justice is being served by the government’s request to dismiss all charges with prejudice. The identity of the ICE agent should be made public and he should be charged for his crime.”
