WASHINGTON: The US Justice Department has moved to drop charges against two men charged with assaulting Immigration and Customs Enforcement officers in Minneapolis in January after an officer shot a Venezuelan immigrant, a court document showed on Thursday.
The top federal prosecutor in Minnesota, Daniel Rosen, asked a judge to dismiss the charges, writing that “newly discovered evidence in this matter is materially inconsistent with the allegations.” Rosen sought the dismissal with prejudice, which means the charges cannot be reintroduced.
The shooting that wounded the Venezuelan man, Julio Cesar Sosa-Celis, came during President Donald Trump’s widely condemned surge of immigration enforcement actions in Minnesota.
The Department of Homeland Security, which oversees Trump’s immigration crackdown, said in January officers were conducting a targeted traffic stop on Sosa-Celis when he sped away, crashed his car and fled on foot.
DHS said at the time that Sosa-Celis and two other men hit an ICE officer who pursued him with a snow shovel and broom handle, prompting the shooting.
But court documents unsealed later told a different story.
An FBI affidavit said the ICE officers had scanned a license plate registered to a different person suspected of an immigration violation, leading them to chase the wrong person.
The affidavit said another man was driving the car and was the sole occupant — not Sosa-Celis. The car’s actual driver — another Venezuelan immigrant — crashed and fled to an apartment building where Sosa-Celis was present, it said.
At the building, an ICE officer trying to detain the driver was struck by him and Sosa-Celis with a broom, while a third man used a shovel – before the officer fired.
While DHS said initially that the officer “fired a defensive shot to defend his life,” the FBI affidavit said the alleged attackers dropped the broom and shovel when they saw the officer draw his gun and were fleeing as he fired.
The Trump administration’s use of armed federal immigration agents has led to nationwide protests, especially after last month’s fatal shootings of two US citizens in Minnesota.
Rights advocates say Trump’s actions have made the environment unsafe for citizens and immigrants and violate due process protections. Trump’s border czar Tom Homan said Trump has agreed to end his deportation surge in Minnesota.
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DOJ moves to drop charges against men arrested after Minneapolis ICE shooting
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DOJ moves to drop charges against men arrested after Minneapolis ICE shooting
- The shooting that wounded the Venezuelan man, Julio Cesar Sosa-Celis, came during President Donald Trump’s widely condemned surge of immigration enforcement actions in Minnesota
Jailed Pakistan former PM loses most vision in one eye: lawyer
ISLAMABAD: Jailed former Pakistani prime minister Imran Khan has lost most of the vision in his right eye, his lawyer and family have said, raising fresh concerns about his health.
Khan, who is also a former star international cricketer, has been in jail since 2023 and was sentenced late last year along with his wife to 17 years on corruption charges they both deny.
His lawyer, Salman Safdar, visited Khan in jail this week and later submitted a report to Pakistan’s chief justice and the Supreme Court detailing his concerns and requesting treatment for his client.
“One of his eyes has only 15 percent vision,” Safdar told a news conference in Islamabad on Thursday.
The meeting with Safdar was Khan’s first contact with an outside visitor for several weeks, underscoring concerns raised by his legal team about limited access to Khan.
Safdar said Khan’s eyes were watery and he wiped them repeatedly during their meeting. Khan also complained of persistent irritation and vision problems, he said.
Khan’s son, Kasim Khan, said his father’s condition was the result of “medical neglect” during his confinement .”.. and the deliberate denial of proper treatment in jail.”
“The responsibility lies squarely with the regime in power, the Army Chief and the puppets enabling this cruelty,” Kasim Khan said on social media platform X late on Thursday.
The Supreme Court has already requested a report on Khan’s living conditions in connection with a case that has been pending since 2023.
Authorities had previously confirmed that Khan underwent a 20-minute medical procedure in January at Islamabad’s government hospital but gave no other details.
Information Minister Attaullah Tarar said at the time that Khan was “fine and healthy,” while government officials have repeatedly rejected claims that Khan was being mistreated in prison.
However, Safdar said that no meaningful action had been taken despite repeated complaints.
He has not expressed concerns about security but Safdar said in his report to the court that Khan believed his living conditions could be improved.
Khan was prime minister from 2018-22 before being removed in a no-confidence vote during a political crisis over tensions between his government and Pakistan’s powerful military establishment.
He has since faced multiple legal cases on corruption and other charges.
Khan and his party, Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf, maintain that the cases against him are politically motivated.
His arrest triggered nationwide protests in May 2023, some of which turned violent and led to hundreds of arrests.
Khan, who is also a former star international cricketer, has been in jail since 2023 and was sentenced late last year along with his wife to 17 years on corruption charges they both deny.
His lawyer, Salman Safdar, visited Khan in jail this week and later submitted a report to Pakistan’s chief justice and the Supreme Court detailing his concerns and requesting treatment for his client.
“One of his eyes has only 15 percent vision,” Safdar told a news conference in Islamabad on Thursday.
The meeting with Safdar was Khan’s first contact with an outside visitor for several weeks, underscoring concerns raised by his legal team about limited access to Khan.
Safdar said Khan’s eyes were watery and he wiped them repeatedly during their meeting. Khan also complained of persistent irritation and vision problems, he said.
Khan’s son, Kasim Khan, said his father’s condition was the result of “medical neglect” during his confinement .”.. and the deliberate denial of proper treatment in jail.”
“The responsibility lies squarely with the regime in power, the Army Chief and the puppets enabling this cruelty,” Kasim Khan said on social media platform X late on Thursday.
The Supreme Court has already requested a report on Khan’s living conditions in connection with a case that has been pending since 2023.
Authorities had previously confirmed that Khan underwent a 20-minute medical procedure in January at Islamabad’s government hospital but gave no other details.
Information Minister Attaullah Tarar said at the time that Khan was “fine and healthy,” while government officials have repeatedly rejected claims that Khan was being mistreated in prison.
However, Safdar said that no meaningful action had been taken despite repeated complaints.
He has not expressed concerns about security but Safdar said in his report to the court that Khan believed his living conditions could be improved.
Khan was prime minister from 2018-22 before being removed in a no-confidence vote during a political crisis over tensions between his government and Pakistan’s powerful military establishment.
He has since faced multiple legal cases on corruption and other charges.
Khan and his party, Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf, maintain that the cases against him are politically motivated.
His arrest triggered nationwide protests in May 2023, some of which turned violent and led to hundreds of arrests.
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