MINNEAPOLIS – An alarming case involving a Mexican citizen allegedly assaulted by immigration officers has drawn the attention of both Minnesota state and federal authorities. The incident, which occurred last month, left the man with eight skull fractures and fighting for his life in the intensive care unit of a Minneapolis hospital.

Last week, investigators from the St. Paul Police Department and the FBI scoured the parking lot of a shopping center where the incident reportedly occurred. According to Alberto Castañeda Mondragón, Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents forcibly removed him from a vehicle, threw him to the ground, and repeatedly hit him on the head with a steel baton.

ICE, however, provides a different account. They claim that Castañeda Mondragón tried to escape while handcuffed and ended up hitting his head against a concrete wall, thus causing his injuries.

Yet, the medical professionals who treated Castañeda Mondragón have cast doubt on this explanation. Speaking to The Associated Press, hospital staff argued that such a fall could not have resulted in the brain hemorrhaging and fragmented memory he experienced. A CT scan revealed fractures on the front, back, and sides of his skull—injuries that a doctor described as inconsistent with a simple fall.

In an interview earlier this month with the AP, Castañeda Mondragón shared that he believed the officers exhibited racial bias during his arrest, claiming they were “racist” and began beating him immediately. His legal team argues that he was racially profiled by ICE.

During their investigation, authorities visited the shopping center to procure surveillance footage from at least two businesses. Unfortunately, the employees informed the AP that either the cameras didn’t capture the January 8th arrest or the footage had already been overwritten due to the delay in law enforcement’s request for the video, leaving significant questions unanswered.

Johnny Ratana, who owns Teepwo Market, an Asian grocery store that faces the parking lot where the arrest occurred, said St. Paul police twice sent investigators to the business in recent days. The second time, he said, a data technician sought to recover images automatically overwritten after 30 days.

Ratana said he also was visited by FBI agents interested in the same footage.

The St. Paul Police Department did not respond to requests for comment. The FBI declined to comment.

The investigations come amid another federal probe into whether two ICE officers lied under oath about a shooting in Minneapolis. Federal prosecutors dropped charges against two Venezuelan men — who had been accused of attacking one of the officers with a snow shovel and broom handle — after video evidence contradicted the officers’ sworn testimony.

The FBI, meanwhile, notified Minnesota authorities last week it would not share any information or evidence it collected in the Jan. 24 fatal shooting of Alex Pretti by federal immigration officers. That killing is the subject of a Justice Department civil rights investigation.

For weeks, the U.S. Department of Homeland Security refused to discuss any aspect of Castañeda Mondragón’s injuries. It has not answered detailed questions from the AP, including whether its officers recorded body-worn camera footage of the arrest.

Agency insists man injured himself

But the agency last week doubled down on its claim that Castañeda Mondragón injured himself.

“On January 8, 2026, ICE conducted a targeted enforcement operation to arrest Alberto Castaneda Mondragon, a 31-year-old illegal alien from Mexico who overstayed his visa,” said Tricia McLaughlin, the department’s assistant secretary for public affairs “While in handcuffs, Castaneda attempted to escape custody and ran toward a main highway. While running, Castaneda fell and hit his head against a concrete wall.”

McLaughlin’s assertion that Castañeda Mondragón had been targeted for removal was contradicted by a Jan. 20 court filing in which ICE said officers only determined the man overstayed his work visa after he was in custody. McLaughlin did not respond to questions about which account was correct.

Castañeda Mondragón’s lawyers declined to comment on ICE’s statement.

Delay could affect investigations

The criminal investigations could be complicated by the amount of time it took law enforcement to look into the arrest, even as several elected officials called for answers.

St. Paul police told the AP on Feb. 5 that it was aware of “the serious allegations” surrounding the arrest but that it could not begin investigating Castañeda Mondragón’s injuries until he filed a police report — a step that was delayed weeks because of the man’s hospitalization and uncertainty over his immigration status. Police finally took his statement a week ago at the Mexican consulate.

By that point, at least one nearby business had overwritten its surveillance footage.

“It is my expectation that we will investigate past and future allegations of criminal conduct by federal agents to seek the truth and hold accountable anyone who has violated Minnesota law,” John Choi, the chief prosecutor of Ramsey County, said in a statement.

Castañeda Mondragón has been summoned to meet with ICE on Feb. 23 at its main detention facility in Minneapolis, raising the potential he could be taken back into custody and deported.

___ Biesecker reported from Washington and Brook from New Orleans. AP reporter Cedar Attanasio contributed from Seattle.