Perjury probe into ICE testimonies marks latest shooting where evidence contradicts Trump officials
Federal authorities announced Friday they were investigating two immigration agents who appeared to have made false statements under oath about a shooting in Minneapolis last month.
It was one of five shootings in which immigration officials’ initial descriptions were later contradicted by video evidence. These included the fatal shootings of Renee Good and Alex Pretti in Minneapolis, where bystander video quickly raised questions about how they were initially portrayed.
Friday’s inquest came hours after a federal judge dismissed criminal assault charges against two Venezuelan men accused of beating an Immigration and Customs Enforcement agent with a broomstick and snow shovel on Jan. 14. The officer, who is not named in court documents, fired a single gunshot that struck one of the men, Julio Cesar Sosa-Celis, in the thigh.
In an unusual turnaround, prosecutors requested that the charges be dismissed, saying new video evidence contradicted allegations made against the men in a criminal complaint and at a hearing last month.
Here’s a look at how the five shootings were initially described and what was learned afterward:
Date and location: January 14, 2026, in Minneapolis
What federal officials initially said: Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem said the immigration agent was “ambushed” by Sosa-Celis and others and fired a “defensive shot” out of fear for his life. “What we saw last night in Minneapolis was an attempted murder against federal law enforcement,” she said.
What came out later: Investigators did not disclose the new evidence that led to the charges being dropped, but cracks were already apparent during a Jan. 21 court hearing. The immigration officer’s testimony recounting the moments leading up to the shooting differed significantly from that of the defendants and the three eyewitnesses. The available video evidence did not support the officer’s account that he had been attacked with a broom and dustpan.
Date and location: January 7, 2026, in Minneapolis
What federal officials initially said: Noem described the incident as an “act of domestic terrorism” perpetrated against ICE agents by a woman who “attempted to run over them and ram them with her vehicle.” She said the immigration officer fired “defensively” to protect himself and those around him. Good died of gunshot wounds to the head.
What emerged later: Videos filmed from different angles challenged the administration’s narrative. Shortly before the shooting, Good was seen driving her SUV parked diagonally on a street. She told an immigration officer: “I’m not angry with you. »
Seconds later, another immigration officer grabs the driver’s side door as Good’s wife urges him to “drive, baby, drive.” It is unclear from the videos whether the SUV makes contact with ICE Agent Jonathan Ross, who fires while standing in front of the vehicle, then twice more while moving quickly toward the driver’s side of the SUV as it advances.
Date and location: January 24, 2026, in Minneapolis
What federal officials initially said: Homeland Security spokeswoman Tricia McLaughlin said Pretti approached Border Patrol agents with a handgun and “violently resisted” when they tried to disarm him. One officer feared for his life and fired defensive shots, she said. Pretti was pronounced dead at the scene. Top Border Patrol official Greg Bovino said Pretti intended to “massacre law enforcement,” and White House deputy chief of staff Stephen Miller described him as “a potential assassin.”
What later emerged: None of the six bystander videos collected by investigators showed Pretti brandishing his gun, which he had a license to carry. The videos showed Pretti holding his cell phone as a masked Border Patrol agent opened fire.
At a tense hearing Thursday in Washington, Republican Sen. Rand Paul of Kentucky asked leaders charged with implementing Trump’s mass deportation agenda to watch video of the shooting while he repeatedly scrutinized the forceful tactics used by immigration agents. Paul argued that Pretti posed no threat to the officers and said it was clear from the video that he was “backing away at every moment.”
Date and location: September 12, 2025, in the Chicago suburbs
What federal officials initially said: Homeland Security officials said federal agents were pursuing a man with a history of dangerous driving who entered the country illegally. They claimed that Silverio Villegas González drove towards the police officers and dragged one with his car. DHS said the officer fired because he feared for his life and was hospitalized with “serious injuries.”
What emerged later: Local police body camera videos contradicted the Trump administration’s narrative. The footage shows the officer who shot Villegas González walking around afterward and calling his own injuries “nothing serious.”
An autopsy released in November ruled Villegas González’s death a homicide. The report shows he was shot “at close range,” with injuries to his neck and fingers.
Date and location: October 14, 2025, in Chicago
What federal officials initially said: A DHS press release claimed that Martinez and the driver of another car involved in a crash with a Border Patrol agent were “domestic terrorists.” An FBI agent said in court documents that she was chasing the Border Patrol vehicle and drove into one of the agents after they got out of the vehicle. The officer was forced to open fire, the FBI agent alleged, hitting Martinez seven times. She was treated at a hospital and arrested for felonious assault.
What came out later: Videos were released that Martinez’s lawyers said showed Officer Charles Exum steering his SUV into his truck.
In a text message presented at a Nov. 5 hearing, Exum appeared to brag about his marksmanship. “I fired 5 shots and she had 7 holes. Put that in your book, boys,” the text reads.
The proceedings against her were dismissed.
