Full Breakdown
Federal Evidence Release Sheds Light on Contested ICE Shootings in Minnesota
7/16/2026, 12:28:31 AM
Core Event: State Prosecutors Obtain Previously Withheld Federal Evidence
On Monday, Minnesota prosecutors announced that federal officials transferred “hard drives of previously withheld evidence” related to the January 2024 shootings of Renee Good, Alex Pretti, and Julio Sosa-Celis. The material includes the SUV driven by Good, physical evidence from the crime scenes, and digital files that had been inaccessible to state investigators. Hennepin County Attorney Mary Moriarty said the evidence will be analyzed “immediately.”
Background & Context: Operation Metro Surge and the Three Fatal Shootings
During the Trump administration’s “Operation Metro Surge,” thousands of Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents were deployed to Minneapolis and St. Paul to intensify deportation efforts. On Jan. 7, 2024, ICE agent Jonathan Ross shot Good, a 37-year-old U.S. citizen and mother of three, as she exited an enforcement operation. Good was later labeled a “violent rioter” and an “act of domestic terrorism” by Department of Homeland Security (DHS) officials, a characterization contradicted by video showing her vehicle moving away from the agent.
Four weeks later, on Jan. 24, 2024, Alex Pretti, a 37-year-old intensive-care nurse, was shot by two Customs and Border Protection agents while protesting an ICE operation. DHS described Pretti as a “would-be assassin” because he was carrying a legally owned handgun, yet surveillance footage captured him holding only his phone and attempting to intervene on behalf of another protester.
In a separate incident, 24-year-old Venezuelan national Julio Sosa-Celis was shot in the leg through a door after DHS alleged he and roommates attacked agent Christian Castro with snow shovels. Video and medical evidence later disproved the assault claim, leading to dropped charges against Sosa-Celis.
Data & Statistics
- Three individuals directly shot by ICE agents in Minnesota: Good, Pretti, and Sosa-Celis.
- Good and Pretti were both 37 years old; Sosa-Celis was 24.
- Additional ICE shootings reported in the same period include Lorenzo Salgado Araujo (52, Houston) and Joan Sebastian Guerrero (26, Maine).
Official Statements & Responses
Moriarty emphasized that her office “has not prejudged any of these incidents” and stressed the need for transparency and community trust. Attorney General Keith Ellison condemned the federal delay, calling it a “major course correction” opportunity. U.S. Senator Tina Smith echoed the sentiment, noting that “Minnesotans’ trust has been fundamentally broken.”
Criticism & Opposition
State officials and Democratic lawmakers have repeatedly criticized the federal government for withholding evidence, arguing that the lack of cooperation undermines accountability. DHS narratives portraying the victims as violent threats have been challenged by video evidence and independent investigations, raising concerns about the accuracy of agency statements.
Conflicting Reports & Gaps
- DHS labeled Good a “violent rioter” and Pretti a “would-be assassin,” yet video footage shows Good driving away and Pretti never drawing his firearm.
- ICE agents claimed Sosa-Celis attacked an officer with snow shovels; forensic and video analysis later disproved the claim, leading to dropped assault charges.
- Federal officials have not provided a clear timeline for why the evidence was withheld for six months, and a lawsuit filed by Minnesota in March remains pending.
Verbatim Quotes
- “As I’ve said many times over the last six months, our office has not prejudged any of these incidents,” — Mary Moriarty, Hennepin County Attorney
- “I remain deeply troubled that the federal government spent more than half a year attempting to conceal this evidence from state investigators, and I hope this is the beginning of a major course correction on the part of the federal government,” — Keith Ellison, Minnesota Attorney General
- “Minnesotans’ trust has been fundamentally broken,” — Tina Smith, U.S. Senator (D-MN)
- “There’s a long way to go before we get true justice for ICE killing two of our neighbors.” — Tina Smith, U.S. Senator (D-MN)
- “The federal government has not invited us in,” — Sean Teare, Harris County District Attorney
- “The federal government is not collaborating with us with this investigation.” — Sean Teare, Harris County District Attorney
