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ICE target in Maine fatal shooting was roommate, not deportee, says congresswoman
🇦🇷 Argentina /Elections & Politics

ICE target in Maine fatal shooting was roommate, not deportee, says congresswoman

From Clarín · () Spanish

Translated from Spanish, summarized and contextualized by DistantNews.

At a glance

News Named sources Under investigation
  • A congresswoman stated that the target of an ICE operation in Maine, which resulted in a fatal shooting, was a roommate and not subject to deportation.
  • The congresswoman called the revelation shocking and contradictory to previous statements by ICE and the Department of Homeland Security.
  • ICE maintains its previous assessment, stating the operation targeted an illegal immigrant with a final deportation order, and declined to reveal sensitive law enforcement methods.

A U.S. congresswoman has revealed that the target of an Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) operation in Maine, which led to the fatal shooting of a motorist, was a roommate and not the individual facing deportation. Representative Chellie Pingree stated that Johan Sebastián Durán Guerrero, a 25-year-old Colombian national, was shot and killed by an ICE agent on July 13 in Biddeford.

Pingree described the finding as a "shocking revelation that clearly contradicts what ICE" and the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) have stated about the shooting. She added that Durán Guerrero was not the intended target and had a pending asylum case with a valid work permit.

Johan Sebastián Durán Guerrero should be alive today.

— Chellie PingreeThe congresswoman stated this during a hearing, emphasizing the tragic outcome of the ICE operation.

"Johan Sebastián Durán Guerrero should be alive today," Pingree declared during a hearing. "More than a month later, there are still many basic questions that remain unanswered by ICE and the Trump administration."

More than a month later, there are still many basic questions that remain unanswered by ICE and the Trump administration.

— Chellie PingreeThe congresswoman expressed frustration over the lack of transparency from ICE and the DHS following the shooting.

The DHS, however, maintained its prior assessment in a statement, asserting that ICE was conducting "targeted surveillance at the last known address of an illegal alien with a final order of removal." An agency spokesperson refused to disclose sensitive intelligence and law enforcement methods, stating, "At no point did we claim that Johan Sebastián Durán Guerrero or his roommate were the target of the operation."

The shooting is under investigation by the Maine Attorney General's office. Pingree and other Democratic lawmakers have also questioned the DHS regarding its training and agent selection processes, citing the ICE agent involved had a history of violent behavior and mental health issues. The incident also appeared to prompt a policy change where ICE would suspend most vehicle arrests, a change President Donald Trump quickly opposed.

We are not going to release sensitive intelligence and law enforcement methods. At no point did we claim that Johan Sebastián Durán Guerrero or his roommate were the target of the operation.

— ICE spokespersonThe ICE spokesperson responded to the congresswoman's claims, defending the agency's actions and information release policy.
DistantNews Editorial

Originally published by Clarín in Spanish. Translated, summarized, and contextualized by our editorial team with added local perspective. Read our editorial standards.

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