How Immigration Police Kill: Nine People Have Already Been Killed by ICE Agents
Around 7:00 a.m. on July 13, 2026, in Biddeford, Maine, an ICE agent shot and killed a 26-year-old Colombian man with work permits in the United States. The man was not the target of the operation; officers were conducting surveillance on another individual who had a deportation order, according to NBC NewsThis is already the ninth victim of ICE operations under the second Trump administration, adds Al Jazeera.
The man killed in a shooting by a U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agent in Biddeford on Monday was not the target of the operation, Department of Homeland Security Secretary Markwayne Mullin told Senator Angus King.
According to Presente! and the Maine Immigrant Rights Coalition, the deceased was a 26-year-old Colombian citizen who had work permits in the United States and a Social Security number.
The victim's name was Joan Sebastian Guerrero, 26 years old. Guerrero was killed in front of his three-year-old daughter and wife.
On the subject: An Afghan man who fought for the US for 10 years died in an ICE detention center.
An ICE spokesperson stated that the driver of the vehicle was killed after attempting to stop him. According to the spokesperson, around 7 a.m. on Monday, July 13, officers conducted targeted surveillance at the last known address of an individual who was in the country illegally and subject to deportation.
"A vehicle left the house. ICE officers attempted to stop it. The driver attempted to flee, so, fearing for the safety of those around him, the officer opened fire," the spokesperson said.
What the neighbors saw
Daniel Boucher, 71, who lives nearby, said he saw what was happening and heard the man say, "I was trying to stop."
Around 7:30 a.m., Boucher heard gunshots and saw a large white car crash into a smaller car, followed by another collision.
He saw an officer open the door of one of the cars and pull out a man who was bleeding heavily from his head.
"No one should see what I saw," he remarked.
Another neighbor, Nelson Elias, recognized the deceased: he delivered orders through DoorDash and picked them up from the restaurant where Elias worked. He said they sometimes chatted as neighbors.
Elias said he heard six shots.
"I saw his wife and daughter crying in the street," he added.
Another neighbor, Cecilia Humiston, confirmed that the shooting happened right outside her home. She learned of it when she woke up and saw a post about the shooting on Facebook—she realized it was on her street.
She said a little girl in pajamas stood next to the woman while officers tried to keep the child outside the cordoned-off area.
"She was completely out of it, just crying," Humiston said.
Murder in Texas
The incident in Maine occurred less than a week after ICE officers in Houston shot and killed Lorenzo Salgado Araujo, who was driving a van they were pursuing. The Department of Homeland Security claims he "used the vehicle as a weapon" in an attempt to run over officers, but some Texas officials dispute this.
ICE officers did not use body cameras during the Houston shooting, and Salgado Araujo, a Mexican native who had lived in the United States for more than 35 years, was not the target of the operation.
ICE detentions have risen sharply since late last month.
According to NBC News, more than 1,300 people were detained on July 11, and more than 1100 on July 12.
This followed calls from the Department of Homeland Security and White House Deputy Chief of Staff Stephen Miller to increase the number of arrests to 2,000 people per day. While these figures have not yet been met, they are significantly higher than previous levels: just a month ago, an average of about 600 people were arrested per day on weekends.
The Colombian man killed in Maine became the ninth victim of ICE operations. Besides him and the Mexican man shot in Houston, seven other people, including US citizens, have died in anti-migrant operations. Here are the circumstances of their deaths.
Ruben Ray Martinez
In March 2025, on South Padre Island, Texas, a federal agent shot and killed 23-year-old U.S. citizen Ruben Ray Martinez during a late-night traffic stop. He died in the hospital.
Documents in the case were released almost a year after the incident, following a lawsuit filed by the human rights organization American Oversight under the Freedom of Information Act.
The Department of Homeland Security said Martinez refused to exit his vehicle and "intentionally ran over" one of the officers, after which another agent opened fire through the driver's side window.
Relatives claim Martinez was driving from San Antonio to South Padre Island with his best friend to celebrate his 23rd birthday. They later claimed he was attempting to comply with police orders when he was shot.
The victim's mother said that investigators with the Texas Rangers told her that video footage of the incident contradicted federal agents' account. Authorities declined to comment on these discrepancies.
Alex Pretty
On January 24, a Border Patrol agent shot and killed 37-year-old Alex Pretty, a U.S. citizen and a nurse in the intensive care unit of a veterans' medical center, in Minneapolis during a protest against Operation Metro Surge.
Pretty's family said he was participating in a demonstration against the Trump administration's stricter immigration policies.
Federal authorities initially described him as an armed provocateur posing a threat. However, eyewitness videos and sworn statements contradict this: the footage shows Pretty lying on the ground holding a cell phone. According to the footage, one of the officers removed his weapon, after which another opened fire. Pretty had a concealed weapons permit.
State and city officials, including Minnesota Governor Tim Walz, rejected the federal agencies' initial claims, calling them "abhorrent."
Pretty's death, along with the death of Renee Goode a few weeks earlier, led to a parliamentary inquiry.
Lawmakers demanded explanations from U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement and the Department of Homeland Security regarding their use of force, training, use of body cameras and transparency in their operations.
Renee Goode
On January 7, a U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement officer shot and killed U.S. citizen Renee Good in Minneapolis. According to local authorities, she was acting as a legal observer at protests against immigration raids.
Video footage shows Goode turning the wheels of his car away from Officer Jonathan Ross as he opens fire. Trump administration officials have repeatedly defended the agent's actions, claiming his life was in danger from the moving vehicle.
Goode's death sparked protests across the country. The U.S. Department of Justice refused to share information about the incident with state authorities, prompting regional and local authorities to file a lawsuit demanding an end to the raids. During subsequent protests, officers used tear gas and other chemical agents.
Silverio Villegas Gonzalez
On September 12 of last year, an immigration officer shot and killed 38-year-old Mexican citizen Silverio Villegas González in a Chicago suburb. Villegas worked as a cook. According to his family, he had dropped off his child at daycare that morning.
The Department of Homeland Security reported that agents were pursuing an individual who was in the country illegally and had a history of dangerous driving. According to the department, Villegas Gonzalez attempted to flee and dragged the officer in his car.
The department stated that the agent, fearing for his life, opened fire and was hospitalized with "serious injuries." Local police video later showed him moving freely and describing his injuries as "nothing serious." The investigation is ongoing.
Jaime Alanis
Jaime Alanis, a 57-year-old Mexican farmworker, died on July 10 last year after falling approximately 9 feet from the roof of a greenhouse during raids on two cannabis farms in Southern California. Approximately 200 workers were detained. He died in the hospital two days later.
Relatives said Alanis had been picking tomatoes at Glass House Farms in Camarillo for ten years. During the raid, he called his family while hiding from employees. His family later learned he had suffered serious injuries and was hospitalized.
The Department of Homeland Security said Alanis was not in custody or being pursued by federal agents.
Roberto Carlos Montoya Valdez
Guatemalan citizen Roberto Carlos Montoya Valdez, 52, died on August 14 last year when he was struck by an SUV while trying to cross a highway in Southern California during an immigration operation.
Police in Monrovia, northeast of Los Angeles, reported that agents were conducting a sting operation near a Home Depot store. Montoya Valdez was crossing the eastbound lanes of Interstate 210 when he was struck by a car. He died at the hospital.
The Department of Homeland Security said he was not being pursued at the time of the incident.
You may be interested in: top New York news, stories of our immigrants and helpful tips about life in the Big Apple - read it all on ForumDaily New York
Josue Castro Rivera
Josue Castro Rivera, a 24-year-old Honduran citizen, died on October 23 of last year in Norfolk, Virginia. He was struck by a pickup truck while attempting to cross the road after being stopped for an immigration check.
According to his brother, Henry Castro, Rivera was driving to work (he worked as a gardener) with three passengers when they were stopped by immigration officers. State and federal authorities said he attempted to flee on foot and was struck on Interstate 264.
The Department of Homeland Security said the vehicle was stopped as part of a "targeted, intelligence-driven operation" and that Castro Rivera "posed significant resistance and attempted to flee."
Read also on ForumDaily:
An Uzbek truck driver who didn't speak English crashed into a car, killing a young football player.
Subscribe to ForumDaily on Google NewsDo you want more important and interesting news about life in the USA and immigration to America? — support us donate! Also subscribe to our page Facebook. Select the “Priority in display” option and read us first. Also, don't forget to subscribe to our РєР ° РЅР ° Р »РІ Telegram and Instagram- there is a lot of interesting things there. And join thousands of readers ForumDaily New York — there you will find a lot of interesting and positive information about life in the metropolis.
Editor's Choice
