Trump's Agencies Accused the People Their Agents Shot and Withheld Evidence of Two Killings for Months
Chapter 1 — DHS Kept Its Accusation After DOJ Abandoned the Case
Chapter 2 — Two Minneapolis Killings and Months Without Federal Evidence
Chapter 3 — Two More Deaths, Then Trump's Order to Keep Traffic Stops
Chapter 4 — The Accusations and Evidence Gaps Recurred
Chapter 5 — The President's Responsibility After the Gunfire
1 · DHS Kept Its Accusation After DOJ Abandoned the Case
1.1 — The Government's Own Evidence Broke Its Story
1.2 — The County's Account of a Shot Through a Door
1.3 — The Charges Changed Sides
DHS accused a man its officer had shot of attacking the officer. DOJ dropped the prosecution because new evidence contradicted the sworn account, but DHS left its accusation online. Trump publicly praised the secretary who defended that account.
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The county's charging document says Castro fired toward a home's front door after the men went inside. It also records Sosa-Celis acknowledging that he swung a broom without hitting the officer. Prosecutors accuse Castro of inventing a beating.
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DOJ permanently abandoned the assault case against Sosa-Celis and Aljorna. The officer now faces state charges and a federal false-statement indictment. News reporting also documents a prosecutor's objection to DOJ's charging decision and his firing, while DOJ said the civil-rights inquiry was unfinished.
Newly discovered evidence in this matter is materially inconsistent with the allegations in the Complaint Affidavit, filed on January 16, 2026, as ECF 1-1, as well as the preliminary-hearing testimony (ECF 18, 19) that was based on information presented to the Affiant. Accordingly, dismissal with prejudice will serve the interests of justice.
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2 · Two Minneapolis Killings and Months Without Federal Evidence
2.1 — Renee Good: An Accusation Before an Independent Investigation
2.2 — Alex Pretti: State Investigators Turned Away With a Warrant
ICE killed Renee Good in her car. DHS immediately accused her of trying to kill officers, and the FBI excluded Minnesota's investigators that afternoon. Congressional letters also allege denied medical access and an investigation redirected toward Good's widow.
Today, ICE officers in Minneapolis were conducting targeted operations when rioters began blocking ICE officers and one of these violent rioters weaponized her vehicle, attempting to run over our law enforcement officers in an attempt to kill them—an act of domestic terrorism.
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Federal officers killed Alex Pretti, and Minnesota's investigators never examined the scene despite obtaining a search warrant. A judge concluded evidence likely had been lost or spoiled there, more likely because of urgent safety conditions than poor evidence-gathering, and inferred that federal officials had failed to safeguard Pretti's firearm. He ended the preservation order because future destruction was unlikely. Federal authorities later shared evidence with Minnesota.
After the FBI cleared the scene without providing the BCA access, local and state law enforcement officers were unable to hold the scene, and it was overrun by individuals in the area. The BCA was thus unable to examine the scene.
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3 · Two More Deaths, Then Trump's Order to Keep Traffic Stops
3.1 — Houston: ICE Detained the Witnesses
3.2 — Maine: The Secretary Corrected the Target's Identity
3.3 — Trump Rejected the Pause; Investigative Independence Came Under Pressure
ICE killed Houston construction worker Lorenzo Salgado Araujo during a vehicle stop. The passengers disputed ICE's account and were detained. A judge found one witness's detention unconstitutional and ordered his release; federal testing later refuted a drug suspicion about the van.
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An ICE officer killed Johan Sebastián Durán Guerrero in Biddeford. Mullin initially told Senator Angus King the dead man was the warrant target, then corrected that information. Maine's attorney general continued investigating the homicide and use of deadly force.
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After the Houston and Maine deaths, ICE paused most vehicle stops for a safety review. Trump publicly told ICE to keep using them. CBS later reported instructions shifting assault investigations involving DHS officers to ICE's own investigators; DHS and DOJ denied a policy change.
I.C.E., be judicious, fair and smart, and go back and do your very important job.
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4 · The Accusations and Evidence Gaps Recurred
4.1 — Chicago: Martinez's Prosecution Ended, Her Accusation Stayed
4.2 — Austin: An Assault Charge Without a Recording of the Gunfire
4.3 — New York: A Child in the Car, and an Emergency Court Order
Border Patrol shot Marimar Martinez, and DHS named her in a release about domestic terrorists. The Texas Tribune reported that video and agents' texts contradicted the vehicle-ramming accusation, and the government dropped her prosecution permanently. The accusations remained on the department's website.
ICE shot delivery driver Wilber Garces Perez after a pursuit. The shooter said Garces Perez tried to strike him with the car; Garces Perez said an SUV forced his car to stop before the officer fired. His criminal case proceeded, but the hearing exposed missing recordings and an investigator who had not interviewed the shooter.
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ICE shot Oscar Bergal, identified as Belgal in news reports, with his five-year-old son in the car. Officials defended the shooting and said agents did not know the child was there. A judge barred removal and limited transfers while the court considered his detention challenge; NPR reported those restrictions continued after a separate restraining-order motion was denied.
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5 · The President's Responsibility After the Gunfire
5.1 — The Defense Has Limits
5.2 — The Prosecutions Failed; Officials Later Shared Evidence
5.3 — Why This Is an Abuse of Public Trust
Deadly force can be lawful when an officer faces a serious threat, and federal law shields officers and agencies from many prosecutions and lawsuits, though neither makes an official accusation true. DHS's own litigation-disclosure rule leaves sharing with state criminal investigators unaffected.
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DOJ charged people federal agents had shot, and the Sosa-Celis and Martinez cases ended in permanent dismissal. The administration later shared evidence and prosecuted Castro, and Noem and Bondi left office. Those corrections did not restore the months investigators lost or correct DHS's accusation.
The impeachment argument concerns the administration's conduct after the shootings and Trump's public backing. The charge is abuse of public trust: officials accused people their agents shot while restricting independent scrutiny.
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Full Source Index
Primary Sources
- [1]DHS press release, "DHS Releases More Details About the Three Violent Criminal Illegal Aliens Who Violently Beat a Law Enforcement Officer with Weapons," dhs.gov, carrying Secretary Kristi Noem's own quoted statement · the Department's own published account, with the Secretary's own words
- [2]
- [3]
- [4]
- [5]
- [6]Declaration of Drew Evans, Superintendent of the Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension, Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension v. Noem, No. 0:26-cv-00628 (D. Minn.), ECF No. 5 · a sworn declaration, executed under penalty of perjury
- [7]"MN BCA update: Alex Pretti shooting death investigation," Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension, Minnesota Department of Public Safety · a state agency's own published statement
- [8]"Statement from BCA Superintendent Drew Evans on the Alex Pretti shooting investigation," Minnesota Department of Public Safety · a state agency's own published statement
- [9]Hennepin County Attorney's Office, "Hennepin County Attorney's Office announces two-way evidence sharing between state and federal agencies for Metro Surge shootings," hennepinattorney.org · a county prosecutor's own published statement
- [10]United States Senate roll call vote 17, 119th Congress, 1st Session — on the nomination of Kristi Noem to be Secretary of Homeland Security, senate.gov · the Senate's own record of its own vote
- [11]United States Senate roll call vote 33, 119th Congress, 1st Session — on the nomination of Pamela Bondi to be Attorney General, senate.gov · the Senate's own record of its own vote
- [12]Donald J. Trump, post on his own platform, status 115987465493616768, retrieved from the platform's own application-programming interface · the President's own published words
- [13]"Durbin Presses DHS Secretary Kristi Noem During Senate Judiciary Committee Oversight Hearing," release of the Ranking Member, Senate Committee on the Judiciary, judiciary.senate.gov · a Senate committee's own published account of its own hearing
- [14]Donald J. Trump, Truth Social post of July 15, 2026 at 3:45 a.m. Pacific, American Presidency Project reproduction · primary speech reproduction
- [15]Complaint-Warrant, State of Minnesota v. Christian J. Castro, No. 27-CR-26-12537 (Minn. Dist. Ct., 4th Jud. Dist.), Statement of Probable Cause sworn by BCA Special Agent Nicolai Lyfoung and approved by prosecuting attorney Joshua Larson · primary (a sworn state charging instrument) — an ACCUSATION, never an adjudication; SINGLE-RENDERING capture
- [16]Government's Appeal of and Motion to Revoke Orders of Release on Conditions, United States v. Aljorna and Sosa-Celis, No. 26-mj-00023 (D. Minn.), ECF No. 24 · primary (the government's own filed brief) — the "before" side of the contradiction
- [17]Hennepin County Attorney's Office, release announcing charges against Christian J. Castro, hennepinattorney.org · primary (a county prosecutor's own published statement) — the PROSECUTING OFFICE'S assertions, not findings
- [18]Hennepin County Attorney's Office, "ICE agent Christian Castro makes first appearance in Hennepin County District Court," hennepinattorney.org · primary (a county prosecutor's own published statement) — the PROSECUTING OFFICE'S assertions, not findings
- [19]
- [20]Biographical Directory of Article III Federal Judges, Federal Judicial Center — the Center's own published dataset · the judiciary's own biographical record
- [21]Sosa-Celis's Response to the Government's Motion to Revoke Release, United States v. Aljorna and Sosa-Celis, No. 26-mj-00023 (D. Minn.), ECF No. 34, at 2 n.1 · primary (a filed court document) — a DEFENCE filing, cited only for its record of who swore the affidavit
- [22]Hennepin County Attorney's Office, release on the arrest of Christian J. Castro in Texas, hennepinattorney.org · a county prosecutor's own published statement
- [23]Minnesota Attorney General Keith Ellison, "Attorney General Ellison sues Texas Governor Abbott to compel extradition of ICE agent Christian Castro," ag.state.mn.us · primary (a state attorney general's own published statement) — a LITIGANT'S account
- [24]Minnesota Attorney General Keith Ellison, statement on the Texas federal court's ruling in the Castro extradition suit, ag.state.mn.us · primary (a state attorney general's own published statement) — a LITIGANT'S account of a ruling AGAINST it
- [25]Minnesota Attorney General Keith Ellison, statement on the release of Christian Castro from a Texas jail, ag.state.mn.us · primary (a state attorney general's own published statement) — a LITIGANT'S account
- [26]Docket, United States v. Castro, No. 0:26-cr-00152 (D. Minn.) (Frank, J.; Wright, M.J.), CourtListener/RECAP · the federal court's own docket record
- [27]
- [30]Complaint, State of Minnesota, City of Minneapolis and City of Saint Paul v. Noem, No. 0:26-cv-00190 (D. Minn.), ECF No. 1, filed by Minnesota Attorney General Keith Ellison · primary (a filed federal complaint) — carrying the PLAINTIFF STATE'S allegations, not findings
- [31]Complaint, Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension and Hennepin County Attorney's Office v. Noem, No. 0:26-cv-00628 (ECT/DTS) (D. Minn.), ECF No. 1, filed by Minnesota Attorney General Keith Ellison and Hennepin County Attorney Mary F. Moriarty · primary (a filed federal complaint) — the PLAINTIFFS' allegations
- [32]
- [33]
- [34]Letter from Reps. Jamie Raskin, Pramila Jayapal, Mary Gay Scanlon and Lucy McBath, ranking members of the House Committee on the Judiciary and its subcommittees, to Attorney General Pamela Bondi, on the killings of Renee Good and Alex Pretti · primary (a signed congressional oversight letter) — carrying THOSE MEMBERS' assertions, not findings
- [35]Letter from all ten Democratic members of the Senate Committee on the Judiciary to Assistant Attorney General Harmeet K. Dhillon, Civil Rights Division, U.S. Department of Justice · primary (a signed congressional oversight letter) — carrying THOSE SENATORS' assertions
- [36]Letter from Senators Sheldon Whitehouse and Richard J. Durbin to the Inspector General of the Department of Justice and the Counsel for the Office of Professional Responsibility, requesting an investigation into the handling of the Renee Good matter · primary (a signed congressional oversight letter) — part reporting-derived, part the Committee's OWN information
- [37]Opinion and Order (Tostrud, J.), Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension v. Noem, No. 0:26-cv-00628 (D. Minn.), ECF No. 24 — dissolving the temporary restraining order · primary (a federal district-court opinion), on a TEMPORARY-RESTRAINING-ORDER record
- [38]Donald J. Trump, post on his own platform, status 115982625271651077, retrieved from the platform's own application-programming interface · the President's own published words
- [39]
- [40]
- [41]"Statement from BCA Superintendent Drew Evans on the Good, Pretti and Sosa-Celis shooting investigations," Minnesota Department of Public Safety · a state agency's own published statement
- [42]
- [43]Judge Keith P. Ellison, Rojas Pliego v. Mullin, No. 4:26-cv-05719, ECF 8, July 27, 2026 · federal habeas order
- [46]Judge Keith P. Ellison, Rojas Pliego v. Mullin, ECF 13, August 3, 2026 · order denying stay
- [47]Rojas Pliego v. Mullin, federal docket reproduced by Habeas Dockets, filings through September 16, 2026 · primary docket reproduction
- [49]
- [50]Maine Attorney General Aaron Frey, statement on Johan Sebastián Durán Guerrero investigation, August 17, 2026 · state attorney general statement
- [54]
- [55]
- [56]DHS press release, "UPDATE: DHS Deploys Special Operations After Multiple Violent Attacks on Federal Law Enforcement by Domestic Terrorists in Chicago," dhs.gov · the Department's own published account
- [57]Docket, United States v. Martinez, No. 1:25-cr-00636 (N.D. Ill.) (Alexakis, J.), CourtListener/RECAP · the federal court's own docket record
- [58]Government's Motion to Dismiss the Indictment, United States v. Martinez, No. 25 CR 636 (N.D. Ill.), ECF No. 69, by United States Attorney Andrew S. Boutros · the government's own filed court document
- [59]
- [60]
- [61]
- [64]Criminal complaint concerning Wilber Rafael Garces Perez, Western District of Texas, September 28, 2026, DOJ copy · criminal complaint, allegations
- [66]Judge J. Paul Oetken, Bergal v. Genalo, No. 1:26-cv-08928, ECF 5, October 9, 2026 · jurisdiction-preservation order
- [71]Judge John P. Cronan, Bergal v. Genalo, ECF 10, October 9, 2026 · order denying separate TRO motion without prejudice
- [72]Graham v. Connor, 490 U.S. 386 (1989), Library of Congress, United States Reports — Opinion of the Court (Rehnquist, C.J.), not the syllabus · primary (a Supreme Court opinion) — ADVERSE, and the strongest single argument against Chapter 1
- [73]Tennessee v. Garner, 471 U.S. 1 (1985), Library of Congress, United States Reports — Opinion of the Court (White, J.) · primary (a Supreme Court opinion) — DOUBLE-EDGED, and the file says so
- [74]Plumhoff v. Rickard, 572 U.S. 765 (2014), Library of Congress, United States Reports — Opinion of the Court (Alito, J.) · primary (a Supreme Court opinion) — ADVERSE, and directly on the contested account in §1.2
- [75]Mullenix v. Luna, 577 U.S. 7 (2015), Library of Congress, United States Reports — per curiam · primary (a Supreme Court opinion) — ADVERSE
- [76]28 U.S.C. §1442(a), federal-officer removal, Office of the Law Revision Counsel · primary (the statutory text) — ADVERSE
- [77]In re Neagle, 135 U.S. 1 (1890), Library of Congress, United States Reports · a Supreme Court opinion) — captured, quoted nowhere (cited once, in §4.2, on the Supremacy Clause sentence
- [78]28 U.S.C. §2680(h), the Federal Tort Claims Act's intentional-tort exception, Office of the Law Revision Counsel · primary (the statutory text) — ADVERSE, and structurally answerable
- [79]Barr v. Matteo, 360 U.S. 564 (1959), Library of Congress, United States Reports — the opinion announcing the judgment of the Court (Harlan, J.), joined by three Justices · primary (a Supreme Court decision) — ADVERSE, and a PLURALITY, not a majority
- [80]Egbert v. Boule, 596 U.S. 482 (2022), Supreme Court of the United States, slip opinion — Opinion of the Court (Thomas, J.) · primary (a Supreme Court opinion) — DOUBLE-EDGED
- [81]6 C.F.R. §5.44, "Testimony and production of documents prohibited unless approved by appropriate Department officials," eCFR full text of 6 C.F.R. Part 5 as in force January 1, 2026 · primary (the Department of Homeland Security's own binding regulation) — ADVERSE
- [82]United States ex rel. Touhy v. Ragen, 340 U.S. 462 (1951), Library of Congress, United States Reports — Opinion of the Court (Reed, J.) · primary (a Supreme Court opinion) — ADVERSE, but narrower than its reputation
- [83]Trump v. United States, 603 U.S. 593 (2024), Supreme Court of the United States, slip opinion — Opinion of the Court · primary (a Supreme Court opinion) — ADVERSE, and answerable
- [84]U.S. Const. art. II, §4, National Archives transcription of the Constitution · the constitutional text
- [85]The Federalist No. 65 (Alexander Hamilton), Avalon Project, Yale Law School · primary (the founding-era text) — an INTERPRETIVE GLOSS, not binding law
- [86]U.S. Department of Homeland Security, "Message from Secretary Kristi Noem" to the department's employees, dhs.gov · the Department's own publication of the Secretary's own words
- [87]DHS press release, "U.S. Senate Confirms Markwayne Mullin as Secretary of the Department of Homeland Security," dhs.gov · the Department's own announcement
- [88]
- [89]Order and Report and Recommendation, United States v. Doyle, No. 26-mj-80 (D. Minn.), ECF No. 39, at footnote 4 · primary (a federal court order) — cited for ONE footnote, which itself rests on news reports
- [90]Donald J. Trump, post on his own platform, status 116178030946996760, retrieved from the platform's own application-programming interface · the President's own published words
- [91]U.S. Department of Justice, "Meet the Attorney General" (official biography of Todd Blanche), justice.gov, as captured October 10, 2026 · the Department's own biography of the officeholder
- [92]Hennepin County Attorney's Office, release announcing charges against ICE agent Gregory Donnell Morgan, Jr., hennepinattorney.org · primary (a county prosecutor's own published statement) — the PROSECUTING OFFICE'S assertions, not findings
- [93]DHS press release announcing Operation Midway Blitz, dhs.gov, carrying Assistant Secretary Tricia McLaughlin's statement · the Department's own published account
- [94]ICE Detention Statistics, FY2025 (FY25_detentionStats09242025.xlsx), U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement — the agency's own published workbook, sheet "Detention FY25," table "ICE Currently Detained by Criminality and Arresting Agency: FY2025" · the agency's own published data, released under a congressional appropriations requirement
- [95]DHS press release recapping enforcement action, dhs.gov, carrying Assistant Secretary Tricia McLaughlin's statement · the Department's own published claim
- [96]Deschler's Precedents of the United States House of Representatives, Vol. 3, Ch. 14 §15 (Nixon impeachment proceedings), Government Publishing Office · the House's own parliamentary record
- [97]
- [98]Opinion and Order (Ellis, J.), Chicago Headline Club v. Noem, No. 25 C 12173 (N.D. Ill.), ECF No. 281 — 233 pages, on a preliminary-injunction record · primary (a federal district-court opinion), on a PRELIMINARY-INJUNCTION record; its order was VACATED by the Seventh Circuit on March 5, 2026 without review of the findings
- [99]Opinion (per curiam; Easterbrook, J., dissenting), Chicago Headline Club v. Noem, No. 25-3023 (7th Cir. Mar. 5, 2026), Document 48 · primary (a federal appellate opinion) — ADVERSE to Chapter 3, and stated at full strength
- [100]Donald J. Trump, post on his own platform, status 115991701359412321, retrieved from the platform's own application-programming interface · the President's own published words
Secondary Sources
- [28]Megan Rose and Andy Mannix, ProPublica, DOJ blocked serious ICE shooting charge over prosecutor's objections, September 2, 2026 · reporting (reviewed email and DOJ response)
- [29]CBS News, Federal prosecutor fired after investigating ICE officer for civil-rights offenses, September 4, 2026 · reporting (four sources on firing)
- [44]Texas Tribune, ICE fatal shooting of Lorenzo Salgado Araujo, July 7, 2026 · reporting (attributed ICE account)
- [45]Ayden Runnels, Lomi Kriel and Alex Nguyen, Texas Tribune, Witness to Houston ICE shooting released from immigration detention, updated July 29, 2026 · reporting (witness accounts and release)
- [48]Alejandro Santos Cid, Texas Tribune, U.S. attorney confirms FBI tests did not find meth in van, August 13, 2026 · reporting (statement obtained from U.S. Attorney Aaron Reitz)
- [51]Michael Livingston, Kevin Miller, Nicole Ogrysko, Susan Sharon and Carol Bousquet, Maine Public via GBH, July 13, 2026 · reporting (King and his spokesperson)
- [52]
- [53]Sarah N. Lynch, CBS News, FBI agents told to stand down on assault probes involving ICE officers; DOJ denies policy shift, updated July 20, 2026 · reporting (reviewed emails and agency denials)
- [62]Mose Buchele, KUT, ICE random license checks and Garces Perez hearing, October 2, 2026 · reporting (courtroom testimony and video observed)
- [63]Patricia Clarembaux, El País, Federal government files assault charges against Wilber Garcés, September 30, 2026 · reporting (court complaint and lawyers)
- [65]Doina Chiacu, Kristina Cooke and Joseph Ax, Reuters via The Star, ICE officials defend New York shooting, October 9, 2026 · reporting (official briefing and police account)
- [67]
- [68]Jonathan Dienst, Tom Winter and Jennifer Millman, NBC New York, court hearing after ICE shooting with child in car, updated October 9, 2026 · reporting (NYPD footage and court proceedings)
- [69]UPI, DHS Secretary Markwayne Mullin defends ICE shooting with child present, October 9, 2026 · reporting (official press conference)
- [70]Courthouse News, Erik Uebelacker, NYC man shot by ICE still has bullet in body, lawyers say, October 9, 2026 · reporting (court hearing)