Video Captures ICE Shooting of Undocumented Venezuelan in Minneapolis
Newly released videos have surfaced regarding a shooting incident involving an Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agent and Julio Sosa-Celis, an undocumented Venezuelan national, in Minneapolis. This confrontation occurred after a traffic stop on a Wednesday and has raised significant questions about the official narrative of the events.
Contradictory Accounts of the Incident
The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) maintains that the ICE agent shot Sosa-Celis in self-defense. According to their statement, the agent was “ambushed” and feared for his life while being attacked by multiple individuals using a shovel and broomstick. DHS stated that Sosa-Celis resisted arrest, which led to the agent firing a shot that struck him in the leg.
- DHS claims the agent was conducting a “targeted traffic stop.”
- They allege that Sosa-Celis assaulted the agent before fleeing on foot.
- Three other individuals reportedly engaged the officer using tools from the nearby vicinity.
Challenge from Family Videos
Footage shared by Sosa-Celis’ family contradicts the DHS account. One video features Sosa-Celis’ partner discussing the incident with relatives. She asserts that another man, Alfredo Alejandro Aljorna, was driving the vehicle involved in the crash, not Sosa-Celis. Her testimony suggests that Aljorna fled on foot while Sosa-Celis arrived home first, subsequently resulting in the shooting.
Widespread Reactions and Implications
This incident marks the second shooting involving ICE agents in a single week. Just days earlier, another agent fatally shot Renee Good, a mother of three. These events have sparked public outcry in Minnesota, with calls for justice and investigations into ICE’s practices.
Witness Statements and Videos
Family members placed frantic calls to 911 following the shooting, claiming that Sosa-Celis was shot as he attempted to enter his home. During these calls, they contacted emergency services to report that “the ones from ICE” were responsible for the shooting. A separate video shows ICE agents deploying flash-bangs and raising alarms outside the residence.
- Witnesses reported chaotic scenes as agents approached the home.
- Protests and demonstrations have erupted in response to the shooting.
- The family of Sosa-Celis expresses a sense of injustice regarding the narrative promoted by ICE.
Current Status of Julio Sosa-Celis
Sosa-Celis, injured in the leg, was hospitalized following the shooting, which was confirmed by city officials as non-life-threatening. Reports on whether he remains hospitalized are ongoing. His family continues to dispute the claims made by ICE, emphasizing a different series of events leading to the encounter.
The unfolding situation has prompted questions about ICE’s operational standards and protocols when engaging with undocumented individuals, further complicating the landscape of immigration enforcement in the United States.
