DOJ Drops Federal Assault Charges Against Two Men in Highly Scrutinized ICE Shooting Case
The Department of Justice has made an extraordinary move, formally dropping all felony assault charges against two men who were accused of attacking a federal agent in a high-profile case that involved an Immigration and Customs Enforcement shooting in Minneapolis earlier this year. The decision marks a significant turnabout in a legal battle that drew national attention and sparked fresh controversy over federal immigration enforcement tactics.
The two defendants, Julio Cesar Sosa-Celis and Alfredo Alejandro Aljorna, both Venezuelan immigrants, were initially charged with forcibly assaulting, resisting, or impeding federal officers in the performance of their duties. Their arrests followed a chaotic and violent confrontation on January 14 in North Minneapolis. During the incident, an ICE agent fired his weapon, striking Sosa-Celis in the leg.
U.S. Attorney Daniel Rosen filed a motion to dismiss the case, stating that “newly discovered evidence” was “materially inconsistent with the allegations” that had been presented in court. Critically, the motion sought dismissal “with prejudice,” meaning the charges cannot be brought against the men again.
This admission of inconsistency by the government stands in stark contrast to the initial narrative released by the Department of Homeland Security. Days after the shooting, DHS officials had claimed that the two men and another individual had violently attacked the federal agent with a snow shovel and a broom handle, forcing the officer to fire a “defensive shot to defend his life.” Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem even described the initial incident as an “attempted murder of federal law enforcement.”
However, cracks in that official story began to show as the investigation proceeded. Court documents, including an FBI affidavit, revealed a much more problematic sequence of events. The enforcement action reportedly began with a mistaken license plate scan, leading ICE officers to chase the wrong person in the initial traffic stop.
Furthermore, while the two men admitted to a struggle, the defense attorneys argued that the government’s account of a sustained attack with a shovel and broom was not supported by evidence. In fact, an FBI affidavit suggested the men had dropped the objects and were fleeing toward an apartment building when the officer drew his weapon. The ICE agent then fired through a closed door, wounding Sosa-Celis and lodging a round near a child’s playpen inside the residence.
Attorneys for the defendants expressed their relief and outrage following the DOJ’s move. They have called for the identity of the ICE agent involved to be released, along with a full criminal investigation into the shooting itself.
The case is now being viewed as the latest example of a recurring theme: federal officials making strong, often sensational, claims about incidents involving federal agents, only to have those accounts later undercut by internal evidence, eyewitness testimony, or video footage. The shooting occurred during a massive federal immigration enforcement surge in Minnesota, a campaign that has drawn widespread criticism and scrutiny from civil rights advocates. The dismissal of these charges further fuels the conversation about accountability and the use of force by federal agents.
