Federal authorities have publicly identified three Venezuelan nationals involved in a violent confrontation with Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) officials that led to one man being shot in the leg during a traffic stop Wednesday night.
Names and backgrounds released
The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) has released the identities and backgrounds of three men who allegedly 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 shot, is from Venezuela and had previous 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 a 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, an immigration judge issued a final order of removal, DHS said.
Gabriel Alejandro Hernandez-Ledezma, also Venezuelan and in the country illegally since May 2023, was designated a non-enforcement priority by DHS under previous policy.
Confrontation and shooting
A federal immigration officer shot a Venezuelan man in the leg late Wednesday during a targeted traffic stop in north Minneapolis, the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) confirmed, the second shooting involving federal immigration agents in the city in just over a week.
Incident details and identification
DHS has identified the man shot on Jan. 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 operation. He allegedly fled the scene in a vehicle, crashed into a parked car, and then took off on foot. When officers caught up with him, he allegedly resisted arrest and got into a fight.
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 released by DHS on social media, the agency described the moment of the shooting:
“Fearing for his life and safety when three people attacked him, the officer fired a defensive shot to defend his life. The first subject was struck in the leg.”
Both the officer and Sosa-Celis were taken to the hospital. The man who was shot is expected to recover, and the injuries the officer sustained have not been fully released.
Arrest and Federal Custody
DHS identified two other participants in the confrontation as Alfredo Alejandro Ajorna and Gabriel Alejandro Hernandez-Ledezma, both also citizens of Venezuela who were allegedly 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 response and ongoing investigation
The episode comes amid heightened tensions in Minneapolis over federal immigration enforcement, including protests and a political pushback following a separate shooting of an ICE officer that earlier left a woman dead.
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