Minneapolis Releases Surveillance Footage of ICE Shooting

New video contradicts officers' accounts of the incident that left a Venezuelan man wounded.

Apr. 6, 2026 at 7:26pm

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An extreme close-up photograph of a shattered car sensor lens reflecting a faint red light, conceptually illustrating the aftermath of a violent encounter between law enforcement and a civilian.Surveillance footage contradicts official accounts of a federal shooting that left a Venezuelan man wounded, exposing tensions between local and federal law enforcement.Minneapolis Today

Minneapolis officials have released surveillance footage of a federal officer shooting a man on the city's north side in January. The release comes nearly two months after the officers involved were reprimanded for lying under oath about the encounter.

Why it matters

The video contradicts the false narrative provided by the Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents involved, raising concerns about transparency and accountability in federal law enforcement operations within the city.

The details

The new video from a city-owned camera shows a federal agent tackling and struggling with a man, Julio Cesar Sosa-Celis, a Venezuelan national. While a man is seen holding a shovel, he tosses it aside before the agent approaches. The video does not clearly show when the shooting occurred, though city officials say it is captured in the footage. The relevant portion begins with a car driving onto a sidewalk before the driver is chased on foot by what appears to be a federal officer.

  • The shooting occurred on January 14, 2026.
  • The video was released nearly two months after the incident, in early April 2026.

The players

Julio Cesar Sosa-Celis

A Venezuelan national who was shot in the leg by an ICE officer during the incident.

Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE)

The federal agency whose officers were involved in the shooting and were later reprimanded for lying under oath about the encounter.

Minneapolis

The city that released the surveillance footage, which contradicts the officers' accounts of the incident.

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What’s next

Minnesota Attorney General Keith Ellison, Hennepin County District Attorney Mary Moriarty, and Bureau of Criminal Apprehension Superintendent Drew Evans have sued the Trump administration over the federal shootings, alleging that the U.S. Justice Department and Department of Homeland Security have blocked state investigators from accessing the evidence they need to investigate all three incidents.

The takeaway

The release of the surveillance footage and the reprimand of the ICE agents for lying under oath highlight the ongoing tensions and lack of transparency surrounding federal law enforcement operations within Minneapolis, raising questions about accountability and the need for greater oversight and cooperation between local and federal authorities.