A violent confrontation in Minneapolis has left an Immigration and Customs Enforcement officer injured and three Venezuelan nationals behind bars after what federal officials are calling an “attempted murder” of a law enforcement agent.
The incident occurred Wednesday evening around 6:50 PM when an ICE officer conducting a targeted traffic stop was allegedly ambushed and beaten with snow shovels and broom handles, forcing him to fire his weapon in self-defense, authorities said.
Attack During Routine Operation
According to federal officials, the confrontation began when the ICE officer attempted to detain Julio Cesar Sosa-Celis, a Venezuelan national who illegally entered the United States in August 2022. What should have been a standard operation quickly spiraled into chaos.
“What we saw last night in Minneapolis was an attempted murder of federal law enforcement. Our officer was ambushed and attacked by three individuals who beat him with snow shovels and the handles of brooms. Fearing for his life, the officer fired a defensive shot,” a Department of Homeland Security spokesperson stated.
While the officer was struggling with Sosa-Celis on the ground, two other Venezuelan nationals — Alfredo Alejandro Ajorna and Gabriel Alejandro Hernandez-Ledezma — allegedly emerged from a nearby apartment and joined the attack, wielding improvised weapons including a snow shovel and broom handle, investigators revealed.
Prior History with Law Enforcement
Records show Sosa-Celis is no stranger to run-ins with authorities. He has prior convictions for driving without a license and has been arrested twice for giving false information to police officers. Perhaps most notably, Minnesota authorities had previously released him before ICE could lodge a detainer, officials confirmed.
The other two suspects also have complicated immigration histories. Ajorna entered the U.S. in April 2023 and was ordered deported but remained in the country in defiance of that order. Hernandez-Ledezma illegally crossed into the United States in May 2023, authorities report.
How did three individuals with such backgrounds remain in the community? That’s the question many officials are now asking as they examine the case.
Political Fallout
The incident has already sparked heated political exchanges. Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem didn’t mince words when addressing Minnesota’s leadership.
“Mayor Frey and Governor Walz have to get their city under control,” Noem asserted. “They are encouraging impeding and assault against our law enforcement which is a federal crime, a felony. This is putting the people of Minnesota in harm’s way.”
During the altercation, the ICE officer fired his weapon, striking Sosa-Celis in the leg. Both the injured officer and Sosa-Celis were transported to a local hospital for treatment. All three suspects were subsequently taken into custody.
The incident comes amid ongoing national tensions regarding immigration enforcement policies and the treatment of federal officers carrying out their duties in communities with varying approaches to cooperation with federal authorities.
For the Minneapolis ICE officer who found himself surrounded and under attack with household items turned weapons, Wednesday’s routine operation became anything but — a stark reminder of the unpredictable dangers faced by those enforcing the nation’s immigration laws.
