A criminal investigation has been launched after a top Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) official admitted that two of its agents apparently lied under oath about an incident where one of them shot a Venezuelan man.
As with other recent shootings by ICE agents of civilians like Alex Pretti and Renee Good in Minneapolis, the January 14 incident which resulted in Julio Sosa-Celis being shot in the leg was initially framed as 'attempted murder' by DHS Secretary Kristi Noem.
Homeland Security had claimed that Sosa-Celis had been driving a vehicle with cousin Alfredo Aljorna and another man, before all three assaulted one of the immigration officers who shot the Venezuelan national.
But a statement from the Aljorna's lawyer claimed Sosa-Celis was injured when Aljorna was tailed home by immigration agents. After fleeing inside his cousin's property, the agents are alleged to have shot through the door and hit Sosa-Celis in the leg.
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Court documents stemming from the January 14 incident show that the two immigration officers claimed to have been set upon by Sosa-Celis and his associates, who they said were wielding a broom handle and a snow shovel.
ICE's Acting Director Todd Lyons has now admitted that the agents who filed the report made 'untruthful statements' about what took place before they opened fire on Sosa-Celis.
He said in a shocking U-turn on Friday: “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.”
His reversal of the narrative came just a day after felony assault charges were dropped against both Aljorno and Sosa-Celis by the Department of Justice, which filed a motion admitting that the court had been provided with incorrect information.
ICE said this was due to the officers' 'false statements'.
Both immigration officers have been removed from their posts as a result of their apparent false claims, Todd Lyons also revealed in his statement, with the enforcement agency saying the allegation is 'a serious federal offense.'
ICE Director Lyons' statement added: "Both officers have been immediately placed on administrative leave pending the completion of a thorough internal investigation….The U.S. Attorney’s Office is actively investigating these false statements.”
This sudden admission came after video evidence made it clear that the officers' recollection of the shooting was not true, DHS official Tricia McLaughlin said in a statement to People.
"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," she said.
Adding: "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."
Sosa-Celis and Aljorno are said to be 'happy' to be free, with their attorney sharing: "The charges against them were based on lies by an ICE agent who recklessly shot into their home through a closed door.
"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."
Topics: Gun Crime, Immigration, Minnesota, US News, Crime
William Morgan