FBI Affidavit Shows Key Discrepancies With DHS Account of Venezuelan Man's Shooting in Minneapolis

For more than a week, the Department of Homeland Security alleged that during a targeted traffic stop in Minneapolis, one Immigration and Customs Enforcement agent was violently assaulted with a shovel and a broom handle by three undocumented immigrants who attempted to evade arrest and obstruct law enforcement.

Although the incident took place Jan. 14, it was not until this week that the FBI released its account of the car chase and alleged assault that led an ICE agent to shoot a Venezuelan immigrant. According to a sworn affidavit reported by the Minnesota Star Tribune, FBI Special Agent Timothy Schanz laid out details that contradicted DHS' description of the incident.

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In a statement published Jan. 15, DHS said agents attempted to detain Julio Cesar Sosa-Celis, a Venezuelan national living in Minneapolis. The agency said Sosa-Celis fled in his vehicle to avoid arrest, crashed into a parked car and then ran on foot. Once agents caught up to him, DHS said Sosa-Celis resisted and violently assaulted one of the officers.

While they were on the ground, DHS claimed two other individuals exited a nearby apartment and attacked the officer with a snow shovel and a broom handle. Fearing for his life, the statement said, the officer fired a "defensive shot to defend his life," striking Sosa-Celis in the leg.

Released by MN authorities before ICE could even lodge a detainer, Julio Cesar Sosa-Celis, a criminal illegal alien from Venezuela, was the subject of a targeted enforcement operation after his conviction for driving without a license and arrests for two counts of giving a false… pic.twitter.com/aKdTwmeWXy

— U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (@ICEgov) January 15, 2026

Schanz's sworn affidavit, however, presents a different account of what happened during the encounter.

As noted by the Minnesota Star Tribune, the affidavit was filed Jan. 16 and made public ahead of a detention hearing for Sosa-Celis and Alfredo Alejandro Aljorna in U.S. District Court on Wednesday, Jan. 21. Both men are being charged with assaulting a federal officer.

According to the affidavit, two out-of-state ICE agents were conducting enforcement and removal operations in Minnesota when they encountered a car driven by Aljorna. Their database showed the vehicle was registered to Joffre Barrera, a 35-year-old flagged as being in the country illegally.

Aljorna told officers he had purchased the vehicle on Facebook Marketplace, but ICE agents said his physical description matched Barrera's driver's license. The Minnesota Star Tribune noted Barrera is 5-foot-2 and 128 pounds with short brown hair, while Aljorna is 5-foot-7 and 172 pounds with short brown hair.

As agents initiated the traffic stop, Aljorna sped off, leading to a car chase that lasted about 15 to 20 minutes. While the affidavit identified Aljorna as the driver, DHS clearly said in its statement Sosa-Celis was the original target and that he had been driving the vehicle before fleeing on foot.

According to the affidavit, Aljorna called Sosa-Celis during the chase and later waited for him outside his apartment. As Aljorna attempted to run from law enforcement, he slipped, and an agent caught up to him and "began tussling with him on the ground."

Sosa-Celis then allegedly grabbed a broom and told the officer to let Aljorna go before striking him in the face. While DHS said a third man attacked the officer with a shovel, the affidavit does not name a third individual, and no such person is listed in the indictment.

The Minnesota Star Tribune reported that DHS officials said Gabriel Alejandro Hernandez-Ledezma was also arrested in connection with the incident, but the affidavit makes no mention of him. Records show he has not been charged with a federal crime, nor do they indicate he was present during the altercation.

Court records show that once Aljorna managed to break free from the agent's grasp, Sosa-Celis passed the broom to him, and Aljorna allegedly began striking the officer. When the ICE agent reached for his gun, both Venezuelan men dropped the broom and the shovel and ran toward their apartment complex.

The agent then fired a single shot, striking Sosa-Celis in the leg. The two Venezuelan nationals ran into their apartment and barricaded themselves inside, prompting a tense standoff that lasted about an hour before ICE agents entered the unit using tear gas and arrested both men along with their immediate family members, the outlet reported.

Contrary to DHS' account, both Aljorna and Sosa-Celis said the gunshot occurred after they had closed the front door to their duplex. As reported by the Minnesota Star Tribune, videos submitted by friends and relatives partially support their version of events.

One clip, verified by the outlet, shows Sosa-Celis' partner, Indriany, frantically describing the incident to relatives over the phone.

"First, Julio got home. They were chasing Alfredo; he had to get out of his car and run," she said in Spanish. "He ran, and they jumped on top of him. Julio opened the door, and they shot him."

Another recording captures several occupants speaking with 911 dispatchers, reporting that Sosa-Celis was shot in the leg by ICE as he and Aljorna ran back into the house and tried to close the door.

"They're outside, trying to enter the house," one woman said as voices overlapped and someone began to cry. "Please send us help," while another man could be heard saying, "We have kids."

As noted by the outlet, Aljorna and Sosa-Celis remain in the custody of the U.S. Marshals Service.

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