Officials identify man shot in leg by federal officer in Minneapolis

The Department of Homeland Security released the name of the second person shot in Minneapolis by immigration officers in just over a week.

Officials identified the man on Jan. 15 as Julio Cesar Sosa-Celis and said he is from Venezuela. DHS said he remained hospitalized after being shot in the leg by a federal immigration officer during a targeted traffic stop in the city one night prior.

It was not immediately clear whether Sosa-Celis had retained a lawyer in the case and what charges he faces.

DHS alleged Sosa-Calis fled officers prior to the shooting in a vehicle but crashed into a parked car and took off on foot. An officer attempted to take him into custody, and a struggle ensued, the agency said. Federal authorities also accused two people of coming out of a nearby apartment and attacking the officer with a snow shovel and broom handle.

"Fearing for his life and safety as he was being ambushed by three individuals, the officer fired a defensive shot to defend his life. The initial subject was hit in the leg," DHS posted on X. "All three subjects ran back into the apartment and barricaded themselves inside."

The trio was later arrested, DHS said.

The Minnesota Department of Criminal Apprehension launched a use of force investigation into the shooting.

Officials alleged Sosa-Calis entered the country illegally in 2022. He was previously convicted for driving without a license and arrested for two counts of giving a false name to a peace officer.

The incident comes on the heels of another ICE officer, Jonathan Ross, fatally shooting 37-year-old Renee Nicole Good last week. The Trump administration has deployed some 3,000 federal officers into Minneapolis recently, and President Donald Trump has threatened to invoke the Insurrection Act over tensions in Minnesota. The move would give him authority to deploy U.S. armed forces domestically.

The officer who shot Sosa-Celis was also taken to a hospital, DHS said, where he remained on Jan. 15. Federal officials did not say what type of injury the officer sustained.

All three suspects in the case were arrested and in ICE custody, but authorities did not immediately confirm their charges.

DHS identified the other two suspects as Alfredo Alejandro Ajorna and and Gabriel Alejandro Hernandez-Ledezma, both from Venezuela. They also both allegedly illegally entered the United States in 2023. It was not immediately clear whether either of the men obtained legal counsel.

Natalie Neysa Alund is a senior reporter for USA TODAY. Reach her at [email protected] and follow her on X @nataliealund.