ICE under fire: Video leads to dropped charges and an investigation

Federal prosecutors in Minneapolis have taken the unusual step of dropping all felony charges against two Venezuelan men previously accused of assaulting immigration agents, including one who was shot by an officer, after newly reviewed evidence directly challenged the government’s original account of the incident.

In a motion filed this week, the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Minnesota indicated that “newly discovered evidence” was materially inconsistent with allegations made by federal authorities, prompting a judge to dismiss the case “with prejudice,” meaning the charges cannot be refiled.

The men, including Julio Cesar Sosa-Celis, who was wounded during a January 14 encounter in north Minneapolis, had initially been charged with attacking an ICE officer with weapons such as a broom handle and snow shovel. Video footage and testimony later raised serious questions about those claims, contradicting key elements of the government’s version of events.

In response to the shift in evidence, two ICE officers have been placed on administrative leave and are now the subject of a federal investigation into whether they made false statements under oath, a potential criminal offense. Acting ICE leadership has said in statements that lying under oath would be taken seriously, even as the agency defends overall enforcement efforts.

Start your day with essential news from Salon.
Sign up for our free morning newsletter, Crash Course.

The developments mark a rare public rebuke of federal immigration law enforcement and add to broader scrutiny over ICE’s use of force and transparency. In Minnesota and other cities, similar incidents, including protests following shootings and conflicting accounts of agent conduct, have fueled community outrage and legal challenges.

For advocates and civil liberties groups, the decision to drop charges and open a probe underscores persistent concerns about accountability and the narrative control of law enforcement agencies.