MINNEAPOLIS (AP) — Federal prosecutors in Minneapolis have moved to drop felony assault charges against two Venezuelan men, including one shot in the leg by an immigration officer, after new evidence emerged undercutting the government’s version of events.
In a filing Thursday, the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Minnesota stated newly discovered evidence in the case against Alfredo Alejandro Aljorna and Julio Cesar Sosa-Celis is materially inconsistent with the allegations against them made in a criminal complaint and a court hearing last month.
The government's motion requested a dismissal with prejudice, meaning the charges against the two men cannot be brought back in the future.
This development follows a series of incidents involving federal immigration agents where eyewitness statements and video evidence have raised doubts about claims made to justify the use of deadly force. Numerous felony cases against protestors accused of assaulting or obstructing federal officers have also collapsed.
The current case stems from a January 14 incident where an FBI investigator reported that ICE officers attempted to stop a vehicle driven by Aljorna, which led to a crash and a foot chase towards an apartment complex. During this pursuit, the government claimed Aljorna began to resist violently.
While the ICE agent stated that Aljorna was attacked with a broom and a shovel, video evidence and testimonies from witnesses presented serious contradictions to this account, suggesting a lack of corroborative support for the officer's claims.
Aljorna and Sosa-Celis, who both held jobs to minimize interactions with federal agents, have denied any allegations of assault. They were later apprehended after taking refuge in an apartment, which they barricaded with their families inside until they eventually surrendered following the use of tear gas by federal agents, taken out of concern for two young children present in the home.
This change in the prosecution's course emphasizes ongoing tensions in law enforcement practices relating to immigration enforcement in Minnesota and raises important questions regarding accountability and the use of force by immigration officers.
