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Norms Impact

A man shot by an ICE agent in Minneapolis was charged with assaulting law enforcement. A startling admission ended the case | CNN

Federal agents’ sworn “false statements” helped power a shooting narrative into court—until DOJ killed the case for good, exposing how easily force can be laundered through prosecution.

Executive

Feb 15, 2026

Sources

Summary

The Justice Department moved to dismiss with prejudice assault-on-law-enforcement charges against two Venezuelan men in Minneapolis after ICE admitted its agents made “false statements” under oath tied to the shooting of Julio Cesar Sosa-Celis.
The shift came after a video review triggered an internal investigation and administrative leave for the two federal agents involved, undercutting earlier DHS and DOJ court narratives used to justify force and prosecution.
The practical consequence is irreversible: the case cannot be refiled, and public confidence in federal law enforcement’s truthfulness after shootings erodes further.

Reality Check

When armed federal agents can give sworn “false statements” that drive criminal charges after a shooting, we are watching the justice system get repurposed as a shield for state violence—and our due process rights are what get hit. This conduct is plausibly criminal if investigators substantiate intentional deception under oath or in court filings, implicating federal false-statement and perjury regimes, including 18 U.S.C. § 1001 and 18 U.S.C. §§ 1621–1623, and it raises the specter of obstruction-related exposure if evidence was manipulated or withheld. Even without charges, dismissing a case with prejudice after the government concedes it fed the court incorrect information is a structural warning: prosecutors and agents can generate a coercive narrative first, and only later admit it was untrue after public harm is done.

Detail

<p>On January 14 in Minneapolis, Alfredo Alejandro Aljorna, working as a DoorDash driver, drove home after realizing he was being followed by ICE agents, according to his attorney. He was tackled by an agent, broke free, and ran into his home where his cousin Julio Cesar Sosa-Celis was present; Sosa-Celis said he was shot in the leg by an ICE agent as he tried to close and lock the door.</p><p>On January 15, DHS issued a news release claiming agents were targeting Sosa-Celis during a traffic stop and that he and others assaulted an officer with a shovel or broom stick, prompting a “defensive shot.” On January 16, DOJ filed an affidavit supporting charges that instead identified Aljorna as the driver and alleged both men struck an agent with a shovel or broom before an agent fired one round “towards the vicinity” of the men.</p><p>On Thursday, DOJ moved to dismiss the charges with prejudice, citing “newly discovered evidence” materially inconsistent with the allegations, and ICE stated its agents made “false statements” under oath. ICE Director Todd Lyons said the agents were placed on administrative leave and could be fired and face potential criminal prosecution, as DOJ investigates “untruthful statements.”</p>