Evidence undercuts DHS narratives in Twin Cities ICE shootings; DOJ drops north Minneapolis assault case
Surveillance and bystander videos, document analyses and medical records from multiple Twin Cities incidents have undercut DHS/ICE accounts — showing men running or falling rather than attacking in at least one Minneapolis shooting, revealing a defective St. Paul warrant that led a judge to free six detainees, and documenting a detainee’s skull fractures that contradict ICE’s claim he violently resisted. Separately, DOJ moved to dismiss with prejudice federal assault charges against two Venezuelan men in a Jan. 14 north Minneapolis shooting, citing newly discovered evidence materially inconsistent with the ICE affidavit, a development defense attorneys and rights groups say bolsters calls for independent investigation.
📌 Key Facts
- DOJ moved to dismiss with prejudice all federal assault-on-an-officer charges against Alfredo Alejandro Aljorna and Julio Cesar Sosa-Celi from the Jan. 14 north Minneapolis ICE shooting, citing "newly discovered evidence" materially inconsistent with the ICE complaint affidavit; the defendants' attorney praised prosecutors for their integrity.
- Synchronized surveillance and bystander video from the second Minneapolis (Hawthorne) ICE shooting show a Venezuelan man running, stumbling and trying to get up — and do not show him pointing a gun when he was shot — contradicting DHS’s initial account and extending a pattern of video evidence conflicting with ICE affidavits (including the Pretti shooting).
- In the St. Paul East Side Nevada Avenue raid, neighbors and a family friend say agents never produced a warrant; a warrant later left on the doorstep lacked a case number, file stamp and probable-cause narrative and did not match state-court formats. A federal judge ordered DHS to produce a valid warrant or free six detained Venezuelan family members; DHS failed to meet the deadline and the court ordered their release.
- Across multiple incidents, DHS either declined to explain key discrepancies or did not respond to reporters; independent document analysis and video timelines reveal significant gaps between DHS talking points and what appears to have happened on the ground, fueling public skepticism and calls for independent investigations rather than internal DHS reviews.
- Reporting synthesizes roughly eight weeks of Operation Metro Surge — including the Renee Good killing, multiple raids (battering-ram entries), airport/child-care/restaurant operations and at least two ICE shootings — and documents hundreds of habeas petitions in federal court, with a large majority resulting in releases or bond hearings and some rulings finding ICE tactics unconstitutional.
- Community responses include multiple school districts shifting to opt-in online learning, student walkouts and general-strike actions ('ICE Out of MN') that have disrupted immigrant business corridors; reporting notes severe revenue losses in immigrant neighborhoods and a conspicuous silence from major metro employers that rely on immigrant labor and customers.
- Sabores De Mexico, an Iranian‑owned market and taquería in south Minneapolis, reported business down 55–60% in recent weeks; the owner closed the taquería side because some staff — despite having legal papers — were too afraid of encountering ICE on the way to work, and he linked local fear to repression in Iran, saying he 'cannot wait' for ICE to leave Minnesota.
- A Minneapolis immigrant alleges ICE/HSI agents broke his skull in eight places during an arrest after he complied with commands; medical records and witnesses corroborate portions of his account, his attorney is preparing civil‑rights litigation, and the case has been flagged to federal judges hearing Metro Surge habeas petitions.
📊 Relevant Data
Venezuela's homicide rate was 56.3 per 100,000 population in 2016, which is a major factor contributing to emigration as families seek safer environments.
Venezuela (Bolivarian Republic of) Homicide rate, 2000-2025 — opendataforafrica.org
The Somali population in Minnesota grew to approximately 107,000 by 2024, representing about 2% of the state's total population, with the majority residing in the Twin Cities area.
By the numbers: Minnesota's Somali population, according to Census data — KTTC
During President Donald Trump's second term, federal immigration officials have been involved in 16 shooting incidents with civilians, resulting in four deaths and at least seven injuries.
The total number of Venezuelan immigrants in Minnesota is approximately 2,003 as of 2026, reflecting recent migration trends to the state.
Immigrants from Venezuela in Minnesota by City in 2026 | Zip Atlas — Zip Atlas
Operation Metro Surge has caused at least $203 million in economic impact to Minneapolis, including lost revenue for small businesses and wages.
Minneapolis faces $203M 'in impact' from Operation Metro Surge — CBS News
📰 Source Timeline (7)
Follow how coverage of this story developed over time
February 14, 2026
1:30 AM
Minnesota shooting of Venezuelan man is the latest where video evidence contradicts ICE accounts
New information:
- The Venezuelan man’s case is now specifically cited as the latest example where video evidence conflicts with DHS/ICE affidavits, extending the pattern beyond the previously covered north Minneapolis assault case and the Pretti shooting.
- The article ties these discrepancies into a broader narrative about federal use of force in Minnesota and how those inconsistencies are being used by defense attorneys and civil-rights groups to challenge ICE credibility in court.
- It reports additional context about how these video contradictions are fueling public skepticism and driving calls for independent investigations rather than internal DHS reviews.
February 13, 2026
2:05 AM
North Minneapolis ICE shooting: DOJ dismisses charges against Venezuelan men
New information:
- DOJ has formally moved in U.S. District Court to dismiss with prejudice all federal assault-on-an-officer charges against Alfredo Alejandro Aljorna and Julio Cesar Sosa-Celi from the Jan. 14 north Minneapolis ICE shooting.
- The motion cites 'newly discovered evidence' that is 'materially inconsistent' with the ICE complaint affidavit filed Jan. 16, 2026.
- Defense attorney Fred Goetz says DOJ recognized the evidence 'was completely different than what the agent claimed' and praises prosecutors for exhibiting 'integrity and professionalism' in seeking dismissal.
- FOX 9 reiterates defense contention that Aljorna and Sosa-Celis were running away, not attacking, when Sosa-Celis was shot.
February 07, 2026
5:01 AM
Immigrant whose skull was broken in eight places during ICE arrest says beating was unprovoked
New information:
- A Minneapolis immigrant says ICE/HSI agents broke his skull in eight places during an arrest in south Minneapolis, and he alleges the beating was completely unprovoked.
- The victim describes being taken down and struck repeatedly in the head after complying with commands, contradicting ICE’s claim that he violently resisted; medical records cited show multiple skull fractures and a long hospitalization.
- Witnesses interviewed by the paper back portions of the victim’s account, saying they did not see him attack officers before the beating, and his attorney is preparing civil-rights litigation while flagging the case to federal judges hearing Metro Surge habeas petitions.
January 23, 2026
4:48 PM
Footage, documents at odds with DHS accounts of immigration enforcement incidents
New information:
- For the second Minneapolis ICE shooting in Hawthorne, synchronized surveillance and bystander videos show the Venezuelan man running, stumbling and trying to get up with agents closing in, and do not show him pointing a gun at officers at the moment he’s shot in the leg—contrary to the implication in DHS’s initial statements.
- In the high‑profile St. Paul East Side raid on Nevada Avenue E, neighbors and a family friend say agents never produced a warrant at the door; when a 'warrant' later appeared on the doorstep, Ramsey County court officials and document comparisons showed it had no case number, no file stamp, and no probable‑cause narrative and did not match standard state‑court formats.
- A federal judge ordered DHS to either produce a valid warrant justifying the St. Paul raid or release all six detained Venezuelan family members; DHS failed to do so by the deadline and the court ordered all six freed within 72 hours, undercutting DHS’s later claim that it had a proper search warrant.
- In both incidents, DHS either declined to explain key discrepancies (such as the suspect’s posture when shot, or the warrant’s defects) or has not responded to detailed questions from local reporters, while independent document analysis and video timelines expose significant gaps between DHS talking points and what actually appears to have happened on the ground.
4:03 PM
8 weeks under siege in Minnesota
New information:
- Provides a chronological, sourced narrative of roughly eight weeks of Operation Metro Surge, knitting together separate incidents we’ve tracked (Renee Good killing, second ICE shooting, battering‑ram raids, airport/child‑care/restaurant hits) into one timeline.
- Documents scale and outcomes of immigrant habeas petitions in Minnesota federal court (hundreds filed, large majority resulting in release or bond hearings), and highlights specific rulings finding ICE tactics unconstitutional.
- Details the political escalation: House Democrats’ impeachment bid against DHS Sec. Kristi Noem, DOJ grand‑jury subpoenas to Walz, Ellison, Frey, Her and Moriarty, and threats from Trump to invoke the Insurrection Act in Minneapolis.
- Adds texture on school and community responses: multiple districts shifting to opt‑in online learning, student walkouts to the Capitol, and general‑strike calls ('ICE Out of MN') shutting down large swaths of immigrant business corridors.
- Synthesizes business‑community reaction, noting both severe revenue hits in immigrant neighborhoods and conspicuous silence from major metro employers that depend on immigrant labor and customers.
January 22, 2026
4:29 AM
Minneapolis business owner feeling effects of immigration and Iran crackdowns
New information:
- Identifies Sabores De Mexico, an Iranian-owned market and taquería in south Minneapolis, reporting business down 55–60% in recent weeks due to customers’ fear of leaving home during Operation Metro Surge.
- Reports the owner has closed the taquería side of the business because some staff, despite having legal papers, are too afraid of encountering ICE on the way to work.
- Adds an Iran angle: the owner, a U.S. citizen originally from Iran, says he cannot reach his brother and sister in Iran amid the current crackdown there and fears for their safety, linking local ICE fear with repression abroad.
- Quotes the owner comparing the current climate to 'living in North Korea' and explicitly saying he 'cannot wait' for ICE to leave Minnesota so his community can stop looking over their shoulders.
January 19, 2026