ICE Agent Shoots Julio Sosa-Celis in North Minneapolis; DHS Says the Officer Was Ambushed by Three; Sosa-Celis's Partner Says He Grabbed Nothing

On the evening of January 14, 2026, an ICE officer shot Julio Cesar Sosa-Celis in the leg during an Operation Metro Surge enforcement stop in north Minneapolis. DHS published its account the next day. A witness has contradicted it, and federal prosecutors later dropped the charges that rested on it.

DHS’s account (press release, the next day). DHS said officers were conducting a “targeted traffic stop” for Sosa-Celis, and that “two subjects came out of a nearby apartment and attacked the law enforcement officer with a snow shovel and broom handle.” It said the officer, “fearing for his life and safety as he was being ambushed by three individuals,” fired “a defensive shot.” Secretary Noem called it “an attempted murder of federal law enforcement.”

A witness in her own words. Sosa-Celis’s partner, Indriany Mendoza Camacho, told Minnesota Public Radio she was present: “I’m a witness, I saw everything, and my partner never grabbed anything to hit him or anything like that” (as quoted by NPR).

The City’s footage. The City of Minneapolis released a 9-minute video from City-owned cameras on April 6 with no commentary. The footage was not viewed for this entry.

What followed. The federal complaint against Sosa-Celis and his housemate Alfredo Aljorna was dismissed on the government’s own motion (2026-02-13–prosecutors-drop-charges-against-sosa-celis-and-aljorna-materially-inconsistent-dhs-says-two-agents-untruthful). The officer, Christian Castro, was later indicted federally for false statements about the shooting (2026-09-04–ice-officer-castro-pleads-not-guilty-six-false-statement-counts-minneapolis-shooting), and Minnesota’s prosecution is covered in 2026-08-27–ice-agent-castro-released-texas-abbott-refuses-minnesota-extradition.

Sourcing note. DHS’s account is taken from its own release; the witness quote from NPR.