Time And Again, Video Evidence Contradicts Federal Accounts Of Immigration Agents' Shootings

Federal authorities announced an investigation Friday of 2 migration officers who appeared to person made untruthful statements nether oath astir a shooting successful Minneapolis past month.

It is among astatine slightest 5 shootings successful which first descriptions by nan migration officials were later contradicted by video evidence. Those included nan fatal Minneapolis shootings of Renee Good and Alex Pretti, successful which bystander video quickly raised questions astir really national officials initially described nan incidents.

The enquiry announced Friday came hours aft a national judge dismissed felony battle charges against 2 Venezuelan men who were accused of beating an Immigration and Customs Enforcement serviceman pinch a broom grip and a snowfall shovel connected Jan. 14. The officer, who is not named successful tribunal filings, fired a azygous changeable from a handgun that struck 1 of nan men, Julio Cesar Sosa-Celis, successful nan thigh.

In an different reversal, prosecutors asked to disregard nan cases because they said caller video grounds contradicted allegations made against nan men successful a criminal title and astatine a proceeding past month.

Here is simply a look astatine really nan 5 shootings were initially described and what was later learned:

Julio Cesar Sosa-Celis

Date and location: Jan. 14, 2026, successful Minneapolis.

What national officials said initially: Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem said nan migration serviceman was “ambushed” by Sosa-Celis and others, and fired a “defensive shot” retired of fearfulness for his life. “What we saw past nighttime successful Minneapolis was an attempted execution of national rule enforcement,” she said.

What came retired later: Investigators person not released nan caller grounds that led charges to beryllium dropped, but cracks were already evident successful a Jan. 21 tribunal hearing. The migration officer’s grounds recounting nan moments earlier nan shooting differed importantly from that of nan defendants and 3 eyewitnesses. Available video grounds did not support nan officer’s relationship of being assaulted pinch a broom and shovel.

Renee Good

Date and location: Jan. 7, 2026, successful Minneapolis.

What national officials said initially: Noem described nan incident arsenic an “act of home terrorism” carried retired against ICE officers by a female who “attempted to tally them complete and rammed them pinch her vehicle.” She said nan migration supplier changeable “defensively” to protect himself and nan group astir him. Good died of gunshot wounds to nan head.

What came retired later: Videos filmed from aggregate angles challenged nan administration’s narrative. Shortly earlier nan shooting, Good is seen astatine nan instrumentality of her SUV that is parked diagonally connected a street. She tells an migration officer, “I’m not huffy astatine you.”

Seconds later, different migration serviceman grabs astatine nan driver’s broadside doorway while Good’s woman urges her to “drive, baby, drive.” It’s unclear successful nan videos whether nan SUV makes interaction pinch ICE serviceman Jonathan Ross, who shoots while opinionated adjacent nan beforehand of nan driver’s broadside of nan SUV and past doubly much while quickly moving to nan driver’s broadside arsenic nan conveyance pulls forward.

Alex Pretti

Date and location: Jan. 24, 2026, successful Minneapolis.

What national officials said initially: Homeland Security spokesperson Tricia McLaughlin said Pretti approached Border Patrol officers pinch a handgun and he “violently resisted” erstwhile they tried to disarm him. An supplier feared for his life and fired “defensive” shots, she said. Pretti was pronounced dormant astatine nan scene. Border Patrol elder charismatic Greg Bovino claimed Pretti intended to “massacre rule enforcement,” and Deputy White House Chief of Staff Stephen Miller described him arsenic “a would-be assassin.”

What came retired later: None of nan half-dozen bystander videos collected by investigators showed Pretti brandishing his gun, which he had a licence to carry. The videos showed Pretti was holding his mobile telephone arsenic a masked Border Patrol serviceman opened fire.

In a tense proceeding Thursday successful Washington, Republican Sen. Rand Paul of Kentucky made leaders tasked pinch carrying retired Trump’s wide deportation schedule watch a video of nan shooting while he many times scrutinized nan forceful strategies utilized by migration agents. Paul based on that Pretti posed nary threat to nan agents and said it was clear from nan video that he was “retreating astatine each moment.”

Silverio Villegas González

Date and location: Sept. 12, 2025, successful suburban Chicago.

What national officials said initially: Homeland Security officials said national agents were pursuing a man pinch a history of reckless driving who entered nan state illegally. They alleged that Villegas González drove astatine officers and dragged 1 pinch his car. The Department of Homeland Security said nan serviceman fired because he feared for his life and was hospitalized pinch “serious injuries.”

What came retired later: Body-camera videos from section constabulary contradicted nan Trump administration’s account. Footage showed nan supplier who changeable Villegas González stepping astir afterward and dismissing his ain injuries arsenic “nothing major.”

An autopsy made nationalist successful November declared Villegas González’s decease a homicide. The study showed he was changeable astatine “close range,” pinch wounds to his cervix and fingers.

Marimar Martinez

Date and location: Oct. 14, 2025, successful Chicago.

What national officials said initially: A Homeland Security Department news merchandise asserted that Martinez and nan driver of different car progressive successful a clang pinch a Border Patrol serviceman were “domestic terrorists.” An FBI supplier said successful tribunal documents that she was chasing nan Border Patrol conveyance and drove astatine 1 of nan officers aft they sewage retired of nan vehicle. The serviceman was forced to unfastened fire, nan FBI supplier alleged, striking Martinez 7 times. She was treated astatine a infirmary and arrested connected felony battle charges.

What came retired later: Videos emerged that her attorneys said showed supplier Charles Exum steering his SUV into her truck.

In a matter connection presented during a Nov. 5 hearing, Exum appeared to brag astir his marksmanship. “I fired 5 rounds and she had 7 holes. Put that successful your book boys,” nan matter read.

The lawsuit against her was dismissed.

Schoenbaum writes for nan Associated Press.