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By Gabe Whisnant and Dan Gooding
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Federal immigration officials on Thursday identified Julio Cesar Sosa‑Celis, Alfredo Alejandro Ajorna and Gabriel Alejandro Hernandez‑Ledezma as the three men accused of attacking an ICE officer during an attempted arrest in Minneapolis.
The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) said in a press release that agents were trying to detain Sosa‑Celis when he fled a traffic stop, resisted arrest and was joined by Ajorna and Hernandez‑Ledezma, who allegedly struck the officer with a shovel and broom handle.
The officer fired once, hitting Sosa‑Celis in the leg, before all three retreated into a nearby apartment and were later taken into custody.
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Both the officer and Sosa‑Celis were hospitalized as the incident reignited tensions over local cooperation with federal immigration enforcement.
Why It Matters
The shooting, which occurred just 12 miles from where an Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) officer fatally shot Renee Nicole Good last week, prompted immediate protests with demonstrators allegedly throwing fireworks and rocks at law enforcement.
DHS has been under scrutiny in the week since Good's death, with local leaders and Democrats in Congress calling for restraint and questioning whether agents are receiving thorough training. The Trump administration has stood firmly with its agents, saying they are coming under increasingly common attacks.
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What To Know
DHS said Julio Cesar Sosa-Celis was in the U.S. illegally, having been released into the country under the Biden administration in 2022. The Venezuelan national had been previously convicted of driving without a license and two counts of giving a false name to a peace officer. Court records for Minnesota showed these cases from 2025.
The department said he was the target of ICE agents on Wednesday, having been released by Minnesota authorities before ICE could issue a detainer.
Another suspect, Alfredo Alejandro Ajorna, is also from Venezuela. DHS said he illegally entered the U.S. in May 2023 and was ordered removable after failing to show up for an immigration hearing.
The third man named was Gabriel Alejandro Hernandez-Ledezma. He also arrived from Venezuela in May 2023. DHS said the Biden administration marked him as a "non-enforcement priority."
Earlier Thursday, Noem said the agent who shot at Sosa-Celis had feared for his life during Wednesday's traffic stop, firing his gun after the men beat him.
What People Are Saying
Secretary of Homeland Security Kristi Noem, in a press release Thursday: “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. Mayor Frey and Governor Walz have to get their city under control. 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."
Minnesota Governor Tim Walz, a Democrat, in a video address on Wednesday in part: "Let me say four critical things to the people of Minnesota—four things I want you to hear as you watch the news and look out for your neighbors. First: Donald Trump wants this chaos. He wants confusion. And, yes, he wants more violence on our streets. We cannot give him what he wants. We can—we must—protest: loudly, urgently, but also peacefully. Indeed, as hard as we will fight in the courts and at the ballot box, we cannot, and will not, let violence prevail."
Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey, on X Wednesday: "Tonight a man was shot in the leg by an ICE agent on the Northside. No matter what led up to this incident, the situation we are seeing in our city is not sustainable."
What Happens Next
Both sides continue to ask the other to turn down the rhetoric as enforcement operations continue in the Twin Cities.
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