Minneapolis Shooting: DHS Identifies Man Shot In Leg During Federal Enforcement Operation

(MENAFN- Live Mint) Federal authorities have publicly identified the three Venezuelan nationals involved in a violent confrontation with Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) officers that resulted in one man being shot in the leg during a traffic stop on Wednesday night.

Names and backgrounds released

The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) released the identities and backgrounds of the three men alleged to have attacked an ICE agent during a targeted enforcement operation in north Minneapolis.

In a statement posted on social media, DHS described each individual:

Julio Cesar Sosa-Celis, identified as the man who was shot, is from Venezuela and had prior convictions for driving without a license and giving a false name to a peace officer. DHS said he entered the United States illegally in August 2022 and was the subject of the targeted traffic stop.

Alfredo Alejandro Ajorna, also Venezuelan, allegedly entered the U.S. illegally in May 2023. After failing to appear for an immigration hearing, he was issued a final order of removal by an immigration judge, DHS said.

Gabriel Alejandro Hernandez-Ledezma, likewise Venezuelan and in the country illegally since May 2023, was described by DHS as having been marked as a non-enforcement priority under prior policy.

Confrontation and shooting

A federal immigration officer shot a Venezuelan man in the leg late Wednesday night during a targeted traffic stop in north Minneapolis, the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) confirmed, marking the second shooting involving federal immigration agents in the city in just over a week.

Incident details and identification

DHS identified the man shot on January 14 as Julio Cesar Sosa-Celis, a Venezuelan national who the agency says is in the United States illegally.

According to DHS, the encounter began when agents stopped Sosa-Celis during a traffic enforcement operation. He allegedly fled the scene in a vehicle, crashed into a parked car, then ran on foot. When officers caught up to him, he supposedly resisted arrest and engaged in a struggle.

Ambush and defensive fire

DHS officials say that while the officer and Sosa-Celis were struggling, two other men emerged from a nearby apartment and attacked the officer with a snow shovel and a broom handle.

In a statement posted by DHS on social media, the agency described the moment of the shooting:

“Fearing for his life and safety as he was being ambushed by three individuals, the officer fired a defensive shot to defend his life. The initial subject was hit in the leg.”

Both the officer and Sosa-Celis were taken to the hospital. The man shot is expected to recover, and injuries sustained by the officer have not been fully disclosed.

Arrests and federal custody

DHS identified the two others involved in the confrontation as Alfredo Alejandro Ajorna and Gabriel Alejandro Hernandez-Ledezma, both also Venezuelan nationals alleged to be in the country illegally. All three men were taken into ICE custody following the incident.

It remains unclear what charges, if any, they will face in connection with the episode.

Official reaction and ongoing investigations

This episode comes amid heightened tensions in Minneapolis over federal immigration enforcement, including protests and political pushback following a separate shooting by an ICE officer that left a woman dead earlier.

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