ICE Officer Defends Life, Wounds Violent Illegal Border Crosser in Minneapolisrev

On the evening of January 14, 2026, a U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agent in North Minneapolis was compelled to use his firearm after a Venezuelan man, in the United States unlawfully, attempted to evade arrest and violently resisted federal officers. The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) confirmed that the agent fired a defensive shot that struck the man in the leg after he aggressively attacked the officer during a targeted traffic stop.

According to DHS, the man first fled from the traffic stop in his vehicle, crashing into a parked car before bolting on foot. Federal agents caught up with him, but as they moved to apprehend him, he resisted and assaulted the ICE agent. Two others from a nearby residence allegedly joined the fight, attacking the agent with a snow shovel and a broomstick in an attempt to aid the suspect’s escape.

With the agent’s life in clear jeopardy amid the violent struggle, he discharged his weapon in self‑defense, wounding the primary suspect in the leg. The injured Venezuelan national and the ICE officer were both hospitalized, and the two additional attackers were taken into custody.

The incident sparked protests in Minneapolis, with some demonstrators confronting law enforcement officers; authorities deployed crowd‑control measures to maintain order. Local leaders publicly criticized the federal enforcement presence, even as crime and disorder have surged in parts of the city.

This confrontational episode marks the latest in a string of violent encounters surrounding the federal government’s immigration enforcement operations in Minneapolis — an effort aimed at curbing illegal activity and restoring accountability to communities that have suffered under years of weak border and law‑and‑order policies. Federal officers face a difficult task in environments where local leadership has pushed back against enforcement activities and encouraged hostility toward those upholding U.S. law.