Fatal Shooting of Immigrant by ICE Agent Sparks Investigation and Congressional Outcry in Maine

On July 13, 2026, Johan Sebastián Durán Guerrero, a 25-year-old Colombian immigrant, was shot and killed by an Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agent during a confrontation in the coastal city of Biddeford, Maine. The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) has not disclosed whether Mr. Durán Guerrero was the target of the enforcement operation.

New York Times

DHS announced that its Office of the Inspector General will conduct an investigation into the shooting. In a public statement, DHS defended the officer’s actions, asserting that the agent fired because he feared for public safety. No additional details about the investigation have been released, and the family of the victim has expressed frustration over the lack of information.

New York Times

Democratic members of Congress convened a public forum in Biddeford to address the incident. Approximately 200 attendees, many wearing ICE-critical apparel, pressed for answers. Representative Chellie Pingree of Maine, who organized the hearing, highlighted the absence of comprehensive video evidence and urged the implementation of body-camera coverage for all law-enforcement participants in such operations.

New York Times

• “If there were active body cameras on every law enforcement member who was participating there, we wouldn’t be looking at some scratchy videos from one store that’s over here, or one person that’s standing in their doorway that’s trying to get it,” — Ms. Pingree, a Democrat of Maine

New York Times

These elements reflect the current factual record and the official positions expressed by DHS and elected officials regarding the July 13 shooting.

New York Times