Justice Department seeks dismissal of federal assault charges tied to January North Minneapolis ICE shooting

Federal prosecutors cite newly discovered evidence inconsistent with earlier allegations

The U.S. Department of Justice has moved to dismiss federal charges against two men arrested after a January confrontation with federal immigration agents in north Minneapolis that ended with one man being shot in the leg. Court filings seek dismissal with prejudice, which would bar prosecutors from refiling the same charges.

The two defendants, Alfredo Alejandro Aljorna, 26, and Julio Cesar Sosa-Celis, 24, were charged by federal complaint with forcibly assaulting, resisting or impeding federal officers while the officers were performing official duties. The Justice Department’s motion to end the case states that newly discovered evidence is materially inconsistent with key allegations described in the complaint affidavit filed shortly after the incident.

What is known about the January 14 incident and the competing accounts

The incident occurred Jan. 14, 2026, near the 600 block of 24th Avenue North. Investigators have described the episode as beginning with an attempted traffic stop by federal agents and escalating into a physical struggle outside a residence. Sosa-Celis was shot during the encounter and transported to a hospital with a non-life-threatening injury. A federal agent also received medical treatment.

Public accounts of the moments leading up to the shooting have varied. Early statements from federal authorities described an agent confronting Sosa-Celis after a vehicle pursuit and alleged that the agent was attacked with items including a broom handle and a shovel. However, the sworn affidavit supporting the criminal complaint contained differences in sequencing and identification of who fled in a vehicle and who struck the agent first, and it acknowledged visibility limitations at the scene, including poor or sporadic lighting.

Video that circulated online after the shooting showed an individual describing to emergency dispatchers that a man was chased to his home and shot in front of family members. The Justice Department has not publicly detailed the newly discovered evidence referenced in the dismissal motion.

How the case intersected with detention and immigration enforcement

The criminal case unfolded alongside immigration custody decisions. In early February, a federal judge ordered Aljorna and Sosa-Celis released from federal criminal custody after finding they did not present a heightened flight risk under the conditions considered by the court. The men were then taken into immigration custody, a step that can occur separately from the criminal process.

At the time of the January incident, federal officials publicly identified a third man, Gabriel Alejandro Hernandez-Ledezma, as being detained in connection with the episode. The Justice Department’s motion addressed the charges filed against Aljorna and Sosa-Celis; it did not announce new criminal charges against any additional individuals.

Key points that remain unresolved

• What specific evidence prompted prosecutors to conclude the complaint’s allegations were materially inconsistent.
• Whether any additional federal criminal charges will be pursued against other individuals connected to the incident.
• How immigration proceedings involving the men may continue independent of the dismissed criminal case.

If the court grants dismissal with prejudice, the federal assault case against the two defendants would be permanently closed.

The court will decide whether to grant the Justice Department’s request to dismiss the charges on the terms prosecutors have proposed.