The city of Minneapolis released surveillance footage Monday capturing the January 14 shooting of Julio Cesar Sosa-Celis, a Venezuelan national, by a federal immigration officer near North 24th Avenue and Lyndale Avenue on the city’s north side.
The footage, obtained through an open records request and recorded by a city-owned camera roughly half a block from the scene, shows a brief physical struggle lasting approximately 12 seconds, a stark contrast to the account provided under oath by the agents involved.
The ICE agent had told the FBI he had been “fighting and tussling” with Sosa-Celis’s roommate, Alfredo Aljorna, “for about three minutes, was exhausted, alone, on the ground, and in fear of his safety,” and that the two men, along with a third, had repeatedly struck him with a broomstick and a shovel. The confrontation caught on the surveillance camera lasted about 12 seconds and depicted two men struggling with the agent. According to the footage, the alleged shovel attack did not occur.
The city surveillance cameras showed Sosa-Celis flinging a shovel into the snow and retreating as Aljorna and the agent ran toward the home. Aljorna slipped, landing just short of the porch. Axios In a court filing, Aljorna said he threw a broom in the direction of the agent, but it never made contact. He also claimed Sosa-Celis was shot while standing in the doorway “some distance away” from the officer, rather than during a scuffle as the agents claimed.
A joint ICE and Department of Justice review of video evidence found that two officers appeared to have made untruthful statements. The agents were placed on administrative leave. Federal charges against Sosa-Celis and Aljorna, both of whom had been granted temporary protected status in 2024 before the Trump administration revoked it, were dropped, with prejudice, meaning the government cannot bring those specific charges again.
Acting ICE Director Todd Lyons acknowledged the agents are under investigation for making false statements in sworn testimony. “Lying under oath is a serious federal offense,” ICE said in a statement. “The U.S. Attorney’s Office is actively investigating these false statements. Upon conclusion of the investigation, the officers may face termination of employment, as well as potential criminal prosecution.”
Minneapolis Police Chief Brian O’Hara said the newly obtained footage severely undermined the government’s initial account.
“The video makes it crystal clear that, just like in other situations during Operation Metro Surge, the federal government’s account of what happened simply does not match the facts,” Frey said.
Federal authorities had access to the footage within hours of the shooting, yet prosecutors did not watch the clip until nearly three weeks after they filed charges against Sosa-Celis and Aljorna. Newsweek
The night of the shooting, a family returning home from their son’s basketball game found themselves trapped between protesters and federal agents and were tear-gassed in their vehicle. Destiny Jackson, who was in the car with her husband and six children, said her infant went limp after the gas entered the vehicle. She performed CPR on the baby while unable to breathe herself. Three of the children, including the infant, were taken to the hospital by ambulance. All survived.
At a press conference following the shooting, Frey urged residents to respond without violence. “If you are angry, we understand — we are angry too,” Frey said. “We are going to meet that injustice with constitutional justice ourselves. And we’re going to make sure that in this very difficult moment, we do not take the bait.”
The Sosa-Celis shooting is one of three incidents cited in a lawsuit filed by Minnesota state officials against the Trump administration, alleging the federal government withheld evidence in officer-involved shootings during Operation Metro Surge, including the killings of Renee Nicole Good and Alex Pretti. The Department of Justice and DHS have reportedly not cooperated with state and local investigators.
