Three individuals, who entered the United States illegally and were subsequently released by the Biden administration, are facing accusations of violently attacking an Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agent with a shovel in Minneapolis, Minnesota, last night.
As anti-ICE protests continued in Minnesota, ICE agents were in Minneapolis for a specific enforcement operation against Julio Cesar Sosa-Celis, a Venezuelan national. Sosa-Celis has a criminal history, including a conviction for driving without a license and an arrest for using a false identity with law enforcement.
Before ICE could apprehend Sosa-Celis, Minnesota officials released him from jail. Sosa-Celis had initially entered the U.S. in 2022 and was allowed to remain by the Biden administration.
As ICE agents attempted to arrest Sosa-Celis, he allegedly fled the scene in a vehicle and crashed into a parked car before fleeing on foot.
When an ICE agent pursued Sosa-Celis and managed to catch up with him, Sosa-Celis reportedly attacked. During the confrontation, two other Venezuelan nationals, Alfredo Alejandro Ajorna and Gabriel Alejandro Hernandez-Ledezma, joined in and allegedly started hitting the ICE agent with a shovel.
Sosa-Celis then allegedly broke free and also began to assault the agent with the shovel. Fearing for his safety, the ICE agent discharged his firearm, injuring Sosa-Celis in the leg.
Following the altercation, Sosa-Celis, Ajorna, and Hernandez-Ledezma fled to a nearby apartment complex. There, according to the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), they barricaded themselves inside.
The ICE agent is recovering from his injuries in the hospital, as is Sosa-Celis. The other two illegal aliens are now in ICE custody.
Ajorna first crossed the U.S.-Mexico border in May 2023 and was released into the nation’s interior before failing to show up to his immigration hearing. Ajorna has been issued a final deportation order by a federal immigration judge.
Hernandez-Ledezma first crossed the border in May 2023 and was similarly released into the U.S. interior. Under the direction of former Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas, Hernandez-Ledezma was considered not a priority for arrest and deportation.
