Federal authorities are investigating two ICE officers accused of lying about what led up to the shooting of a Venezuelan man in Minnesota in January.
A U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement officer shot and wounded Venezuelan immigrant Julio Cesar Sosa-Celis on Jan. 14 in Minneapolis. Homeland Security said then that immigration enforcement officers attempted to arrest Sosa-Celis during a traffic stop, he fled and an officer shot and wounded him.
ICE authorities on Feb. 13 said the agency and the Department of Justice had opened a probe into whether the two officers involved in the shooting lied under oath about what happened after video evidence appeared to contradict their statements, according to a statement shared by Homeland Security.
"A joint review by ICE and the Department of Justice (DOJ) of video evidence has revealed that sworn testimony provided by two separate officers appears to have made untruthful statements," said Assistant Secretary for Public Affairs Tricia McLaughlin in a statement to USA TODAY. "Both officers have been immediately placed on administrative leave pending the completion of a thorough internal investigation….The U.S. Attorney’s Office is actively investigating these false statements."
