DOJ and ICE Probe ICE Officers Over Alleged False Sworn Testimony in Minneapolis Julio Sosa‑Celis Shooting
The U.S. Attorney’s Office in Minnesota moved to dismiss with prejudice felony assault charges against Julio Cesar Sosa‑Celis and a co‑defendant after newly discovered video evidence materially contradicted the government’s account that an ICE agent had been attacked with a broom and shovel and then shot Sosa‑Celis. Acting ICE Director Todd Lyons said a joint ICE–DOJ review shows two officers’ sworn testimony “appears to have made untruthful statements,” and both agents have been placed on administrative leave while internal and criminal investigations — and broader questions about federal evidence-sharing in Minneapolis enforcement cases — proceed.
📌 Key Facts
- The U.S. Attorney’s Office in Minnesota (Daniel N. Rosen) moved to dismiss with prejudice the federal felony assault charges against Julio Cesar Sosa‑Celis and Alfredo Alejandro Aljorna, saying 'newly discovered evidence' is materially inconsistent with earlier allegations and testimony.
- Newly surfaced video and witness testimony contradict the officers’ account that the ICE agent was attacked with a snow shovel and broom handle before firing; filings and defense lawyers say surveillance footage, a state lawmaker’s cellphone video and 911 audio do not corroborate the government’s original narrative and show inconsistencies about who fled and who wielded a weapon.
- Acting ICE Director Todd Lyons and DHS officials say a joint ICE–DOJ review of video indicates two officers’ sworn testimony 'appears to have made untruthful statements'; both officers have been placed on administrative leave and face internal investigation, possible termination and potential criminal prosecution for false statements or perjury.
- Prosecutors explicitly linked the motion to dismiss to 'new video evidence' that contradicted the complaint and officers’ hearing testimony, triggering a federal perjury/false‑statement probe into the agents’ sworn accounts.
- The incident has been framed against a broader pattern in Minneapolis and nationally where initial DHS/ICE shooting narratives have later been undercut by video and eyewitness evidence; reporting notes institutional strain in the Minnesota U.S. Attorney’s Office (staff departures, no public information officer) and heightened political rhetoric from DHS leadership.
- DHS and Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem initially portrayed the Jan. 14 incident as an 'attempted murder' and said the officer was 'ambushed and attacked' with shovels and brooms — language that DOJ’s dismissal motion and the new evidence have undercut.
- Related context: separate ICE encounters in the Minneapolis area have drawn scrutiny — including a Jan. 8 case in which Alberto Castañeda Mondragón says he was beaten (skull fractured in multiple places) while ICE described him as having struck a concrete wall; Minnesota investigators also say the FBI has withheld evidence in other federal‑agent shootings (Alex Pretti, Renee Good), prompting state demands and criticism of federal cooperation.
📰 Source Timeline (14)
Follow how coverage of this story developed over time
February 16, 2026
5:03 PM
Feds formally refuse to share evidence in Alex Pretti killing, BCA says
New information:
- Minnesota’s Bureau of Criminal Apprehension says the FBI has now formally refused to turn over evidence and information in the federal killing of Alex Pretti.
- The BCA adds that the FBI is also withholding evidence in the killing of Renee Good and the shooting of a Venezuelan national last month, despite repeated state requests.
- BCA Superintendent Drew Evans calls the FBI’s refusal to cooperate "concerning and unprecedented" and says the state will pursue all legal avenues to obtain evidence.
- The article notes that federal agents physically blocked BCA investigators from collecting evidence at the Pretti scene, leading to a short‑lived restraining order that a federal judge later lifted.
- Hennepin County Attorney Mary Moriarty plans to send new written demands for evidence in Pretti’s killing to DOJ and DHS, mirroring an earlier letter over Good’s killing.
- Democratic members of the House Oversight Committee recently issued a report accusing the Trump administration of lying to cover up misconduct in the Good and Pretti killings.
February 14, 2026
5:54 PM
ICE officers face criminal probe for alleged 'untruthful statements' under oath about Minneapolis shooting
New information:
- Confirms via DHS Assistant Secretary Tricia McLaughlin that the U.S. Attorney’s Office is 'actively investigating' the allegedly false sworn statements as a criminal matter, not just an internal ICE review.
- Clarifies that the case centered on two named Venezuelan nationals, Alfredo Alejandro Aljorna and Julio Cesar Sosa‑Celis, who had been charged with felony assault for allegedly attacking an ICE agent during a Jan. 14 stop.
- Details that U.S. Attorney Daniel N. Rosen himself moved to dismiss those felony charges, citing 'newly discovered evidence' that is 'materially inconsistent' with the complaint and earlier testimony, and that a federal judge granted the motion.
- Reports that in court, video footage and witness testimony did not support prior ICE claims that the officer was hit with a shovel and broom before he fired the shot that wounded Sosa‑Celis.
- Restates DHS’s original narrative of the incident (alleged vehicular flight, crash, foot chase, and shovel/broom attack) to juxtapose it with what the new video evidence shows.
1:05 PM
ICE official says officers appear to have lied regarding shooting of immigrant
New information:
- Acting ICE Director Todd Lyons issued a formal statement saying a joint ICE–DOJ review of video shows sworn testimony from two officers 'appears to have made untruthful statements.'
- Lyons confirmed both officers have been placed on administrative leave and face potential termination and criminal prosecution after the investigation.
- The U.S. Attorney for Minnesota, Daniel Rosen, has now moved to dismiss with prejudice the assault case against Julio Cesar Sosa‑Celis and a co‑defendant, citing 'newly discovered evidence' that is 'materially inconsistent with the allegations.'
10:02 AM
How ICE Failed to Justify the Shooting of Julio Sosa-Celis in Minneapolis
New information:
- Reconstructs the government’s shifting narrative: from DHS’s initial claim that three men attacked an ICE agent with a broom and shovel, to later filings alleging two assailants, to DOJ’s move to drop charges after 'newly discovered evidence' undercut the case.
- Reports that Acting ICE Director Todd Lyons has publicly stated two agents were placed on leave for accounts that appear to conflict with video, and that they could face termination and prosecution.
- Quotes Lyons explicitly warning that 'lying under oath is a serious federal offense' and confirming the U.S. Attorney’s Office in Minnesota is 'actively investigating these false statements.'
- Places this case in a broader pattern in which DHS shooting narratives have later been contradicted by video or evidence, further eroding public trust in Trump‑era immigration enforcement accounts.
2:37 AM
Perjury probe into ICE testimonies marks latest shooting where evidence contradicts Trump officials
New information:
- Federal authorities publicly announced a perjury investigation into the two Minneapolis immigration officers whose testimony about the Jan. 14 shooting is now in doubt.
- Prosecutors explicitly linked their motion to dismiss the felony assault charges to 'new video evidence' contradicting both the complaint and the officers’ hearing testimony.
- The AP piece frames this case as one of at least five DHS‑related shootings where initial official accounts were contradicted by later‑seen video, putting the Minneapolis incidents in a documented national pattern.
12:55 AM
2/13: The Takeout with Major Garrett
New information:
- CBS packages the agents’ being placed on leave and the DOJ/ICE credibility crisis as a lead national political story, pairing it directly with the looming DHS funding lapse.
- The segment underscores that the Minneapolis false‑statement probe has become central enough to feature as a top topic in a national politics show on the eve of DHS funding expiring.
February 13, 2026
10:37 PM
2 ICE agents on leave, under investigation over false statements about Minneapolis shooting
New information:
- CBS video segment adds that Acting ICE Director Todd Lyons explicitly told CBS News two agents may have lied about a January Minneapolis incident where an immigrant was shot after agents accused him of using shovels as a weapon.
- The piece reinforces that both agents are now on leave and under investigation, framing the issue specifically around allegedly false statements about the claimed use of shovels as weapons.
8:56 PM
ICE agents on leave for lying under oath in Minneapolis shooting investigation
New information:
- Acting ICE Director Todd Lyons issued a formal public statement saying video evidence shows two officers gave sworn testimony that 'appears to have made untruthful statements' about the Jan. 14 Minneapolis shooting.
- Lyons confirmed both officers have been immediately placed on administrative leave and face an internal investigation, with potential termination if misconduct is confirmed.
- Lyons explicitly labeled lying under oath 'a serious federal offense' and said violations of ICE’s 'sacred sworn oath will not be tolerated,' marking an unusual public rebuke of his own agents.
- Defense attorneys for Alfredo Alejandro Aljorna and Julio Cesar Sosa‑Celis say surveillance video is materially inconsistent with the agent’s account that he was attacked with a broom and shovel.
- The article recaps the shifting DHS/FBI narratives about who fled in a car, who allegedly wielded the broomstick, and notes that poor lighting was cited in the original affidavit.
5:12 PM
Prosecutors to dismiss charges against men accused of assaulting ICE officer in Minneapolis
New information:
- Confirms that the U.S. Attorney's Office in Minnesota has formally moved to dismiss the felony assault charges against Alfredo Alejandro Aljorna and Julio Cesar Sosa‑Celis with prejudice, explicitly citing 'newly discovered evidence' that is 'materially inconsistent' with prior allegations.
- Spells out the now-abandoned government narrative: that an ICE officer was attacked with a snow shovel and broom handle by Sosa‑Celis and another man while wrestling with Aljorna, and that the officer shot Sosa‑Celis in the thigh in 'defensive' fire.
- Links the collapse of this case to a broader pattern: other high‑profile shootings and felony 'assault on federal officer' cases tied to immigration enforcement that have fallen apart once video and eyewitness evidence surfaced.
- Highlights that the Minnesota U.S. Attorney’s Office no longer has a public information officer and is suffering a 'wave of staff departures' since Operation Metro Surge began, underscoring institutional strain.
- Reiterates DHS Secretary Kristi Noem’s January 15 statement calling the incident an 'attempted murder of federal law enforcement' and accusing Minnesota leaders of encouraging felony assaults on officers, framing how sharply the official rhetoric now diverges from DOJ’s legal posture.
7:25 AM
Prosecutors move to dismiss charges against men accused of hitting ICE officer with broom and shovel
New information:
- The Associated Press confirms the Feb. 12 filing by the U.S. Attorney’s Office in Minnesota explicitly cites 'newly discovered evidence' that is 'materially inconsistent' with earlier allegations and seeks dismissal with prejudice so charges cannot be refiled.
- The article lays out the original FBI affidavit narrative in more detail, including the claim that Sosa‑Celis and another man attacked the ICE officer with a snow shovel and broom handle during a traffic‑stop chase on Jan. 14.
- It documents that at a Jan. 21 detention hearing, the ICE officer’s testimony diverged sharply from the accounts of both defendants and three other eyewitnesses, and that neither video evidence nor witness testimony corroborated any attack with a broom or shovel or the presence of a third assailant.
- The story quotes and timestamps Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem’s Jan. 15 statement calling the incident an 'attempted murder of federal law enforcement,' saying the officer was 'ambushed and attacked' with shovels and brooms and fired a 'defensive shot,' language now undercut by DOJ’s motion.
- It situates this case within a broader pattern in Minneapolis: a 'string of high‑profile shootings involving federal immigration agents' and 'dozens of felony cases against protestors' that have fallen apart when video and eyewitness evidence contradicted official claims.
1:37 AM
DOJ drops charges against men accused of assaulting ICE, citing "inconsistent" evidence
New information:
- U.S. Attorney Daniel Rosen moved to dismiss with prejudice the federal charge of forcibly assaulting, resisting or impeding officers against Alfredo Alejandro Aljorna and Julio Cesar Sosa‑Celis, the Venezuelan man shot in the leg by an ICE officer in Minneapolis.
- DOJ cited 'newly discovered evidence' that was 'materially inconsistent' with the allegations; defense counsel says surveillance video contradicts the agent’s claims of being attacked with a broom handle and snow shovel.
- The DHS day‑after narrative and the later FBI affidavit conflicted on who fled in the car and who first wielded the broomstick, and the FBI affidavit itself noted 'poor or sporadic lighting' and the officer’s difficulty seeing assailants.
- Cellphone video from a state lawmaker captured a woman telling 911 her husband was chased by ICE and shot in front of his family, adding to public doubts about the official account.
- The dismissal comes amid mass resignations at the Minnesota U.S. Attorney’s Office and in the context of the Renee Good and Alex Pretti killings, nationwide protests, and Trump’s threat to invoke the Insurrection Act before border czar Tom Homan announced an end to Operation Metro Surge.
February 10, 2026
8:49 PM
DHS says illegal immigrant injured head after hitting concrete wall while fleeing ICE, denies beating claims
New information:
- DHS publicly states that Alberto Castaneda‑Mondragon tried to escape while handcuffed during the Jan. 8 Minnesota operation, ran toward a main highway, fell and struck his head on a concrete wall.
- DHS says officers called an ambulance at the scene, that Castaneda initially declined treatment and said he was uninjured, and that he was later taken to Hennepin County Medical Center for his head injury after arrival at the detention facility.
- DHS uses the incident to warn that resisting and evading arrest is dangerous and a federal crime, and blames 'sanctuary politicians' for encouraging behavior that it says endangers officers and the public.
February 08, 2026
12:47 AM
Immigrant whose skull was broken in 8 places during ICE arrest says beating was unprovoked
New information:
- Adds detailed first‑person narrative from Alberto Castañeda Mondragón describing being pulled from a friend’s car on Jan. 8 outside a St. Paul shopping center, thrown to the ground, handcuffed and then struck in the head with a steel ASP baton.
- Reports that ICE officers at Hennepin County Medical Center told nurses he 'purposefully ran headfirst into a brick wall,' an account caregivers immediately doubted and a CT scan contradicted; a doctor told AP the skull fractures were inconsistent with a fall.
- Includes expert use‑of‑force analysis from former Baltimore police lieutenant Joe Key, who says baton strikes to the head are considered potentially lethal force only justified by a firearm‑level threat.
- Describes a second alleged beating at the ICE Ft. Snelling holding facility, with Castañeda Mondragón saying officers laughed as they hit him again despite his obvious injuries and that he experienced racist insults.
- States that DHS has not responded to repeated AP requests for comment and notes it is unclear whether the arrest was captured on body‑camera or facility security footage, despite DHS’s announced body‑cam rollout in Minneapolis.
February 07, 2026