Two Immigration and Customs Enforcement officers have been placed on administrative leave as federal authorities investigate whether they lied under oath about the shooting of a Venezuelan man during an immigration operation in Minneapolis last month.
ICE Director Todd Lyons said Friday that the agency has opened a joint criminal probe with the Justice Department after video evidence suggested that “sworn testimony provided by two separate officers appears to have made untruthful statements.” Lyons called lying under oath a serious federal offense and said the U.S. Attorney’s Office is actively investigating.
The announcement came as a federal judge ordered all charges dropped against Julio Cesar Sosa-Celis, who was shot in the leg by an immigration officer, and another Venezuelan man, Alfredo Alejandro Aljorna. The officers involved were not publicly identified.
Lyons said the officers could face termination as well as potential criminal prosecution depending on the outcome of the investigation. He emphasized that ICE personnel are held to high standards of professionalism and integrity and that violations “will not be tolerated.”
The case stems from a January 14 incident in which ICE officers attempted a traffic stop involving Aljorna. According to the original government complaint, Aljorna crashed the vehicle and fled on foot to the duplex where he lived. Officers alleged he resisted arrest and that Sosa-Celis and another man attacked an agent with a snow shovel and broom handle. The officer fired his handgun, striking Sosa-Celis in the thigh.
However, prosecutors moved to dismiss the charges after what they described as “newly discovered evidence” that was inconsistent with earlier allegations. U.S. Attorney for the District of Minnesota Daniel N. Rosen said the evidence was “materially inconsistent” with claims made in the criminal complaint and at a prior hearing.
U.S. District Judge Paul A. Magnuson dismissed the case with prejudice, meaning the charges cannot be refiled.
Attorneys for Aljorna and Sosa-Celis said they were relieved by the dismissal, arguing the prosecution relied almost entirely on the shooting officer’s account. Defense lawyers said eyewitness testimony and video evidence did not corroborate claims that the agent was attacked with a shovel or broom.
The shooting has drawn heightened scrutiny because it follows other high-profile incidents in which video evidence and witness statements have raised questions about federal agents’ use of force. Dozens of felony cases against protesters accused of impeding officers have also fallen apart in recent months.
After the shooting, Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem criticized Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz and Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey, calling the incident an “attempted murder” of a federal officer. The Department of Homeland Security has not said whether Noem stands by those remarks.
Source: CNN