ICE Agent Fatally Shoots Wrong Man in Maine, Sparking Outrage
A U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement agent shot and killed a 26-year-old Colombian man in Biddeford, Maine, on Monday morning — a man who was not the intended target of the operation, according to lawmakers briefed on the incident. The shooting, the second fatal ICE encounter in a week, has ignited protests, raised urgent questions about the agency’s use of force, and highlighted the absence of body cameras on federal agents despite millions in allocated funding.
The Incident
The shooting occurred at approximately 7:00 a.m. EDT on July 13 at the intersection of Pool and Hill streets in Biddeford, a coastal city roughly 15 miles southwest of Portland. According to the Department of Homeland Security, ICE agents were conducting “targeted surveillance on the last known address of an illegal alien with a final order of removal” when a vehicle departed the residence. DHS said the driver “attempted to flee” and that “fearing for public safety, an officer discharged his weapon.”
The victim was identified as Johan Sebastián Durán Guerrero, a 26-year-old Colombian national who was authorized to work in the United States and had a Social Security number, according to advocacy groups. He was married with a young daughter, approximately two to three years old.
Security camera footage obtained by the Associated Press shows a white car slowly circling an intersection before a law enforcement SUV blocks its path. Two officers then open the driver’s door and drag out a limp body. The vehicle had four bullet holes in the windshield on the driver’s side.
A Shifting Narrative
Sen. Angus King (I-ME) said he was initially briefed by DHS Secretary Markwayne Mullin, who told him the victim had “weaponized” his vehicle against officers and was the subject of an arrest warrant. Approximately three hours later, Mullin called King back with corrected information: Durán Guerrero was not the intended target, and the official DHS statement later that day did not use the word “weaponized,” instead saying the officer fired “fearing for public safety.”
“The question is, what did he do with his vehicle? Were officers threatened? Were the threats rising to the level that justified deadly force?” King told reporters. “That’s what this investigation is all about.”
Rep. Chellie Pingree (D-ME) told CBS News she had “heard on good authority, though it’s not been confirmed by DHS, that they perhaps shot the wrong person.”
No Body Cameras
The agents involved in the shooting were not wearing body cameras, despite DHS having been granted $20 million for body-worn cameras. The lack of footage has fueled demands for transparency and raised questions about accountability, particularly as this marks the second fatal ICE shooting in a week where agents were not equipped with cameras.
Multiple agencies are now investigating: the DHS Office of Inspector General (lead), the FBI, the Maine Attorney General’s Office, and Maine State Police. The officer who fired the fatal shots has been placed on administrative leave, and his name has not been released.
Broader Pattern of Deadly Force
The Maine shooting comes just six days after an ICE officer fatally shot 52-year-old Lorenzo Salgado Araujo in Houston, Texas, while he was driving co-workers to a construction site. It is at least the ninth death linked to federal immigration enforcement since President Donald Trump intensified his mass deportation campaign in January 2025.
According to Al Jazeera, the Wall Street Journal identified more than a dozen incidents between July 2025 and January 2026 in which federal immigration officers fired at people inside vehicles. The phrase “weaponized” their vehicle has been used repeatedly by ICE and DHS to justify shootings, often later contradicted by evidence.
More than 60 people have died in ICE shootings or while in detention since January 2025. Human Rights Watch and Physicians for Human Rights reported 52 deaths in ICE custody during the first 500 days of Trump’s second term, with a mortality rate nearly four times higher than under the Biden administration.
Community Response
Hundreds of protesters gathered in Biddeford and Portland on Monday evening and Tuesday, holding vigils and calling for ICE to be abolished. A small group of MAGA counter-protesters briefly disrupted the Biddeford vigil before being drowned out by whistles.
Eyewitness Daniel Boucher, 71, who lives near the scene, told the AP he heard gunshots and saw the aftermath. “His face was bloody. His head was bloody,” Boucher said. “I clearly heard the victim say, ‘I tried to stop.’”
Ruben Torres of the Maine Immigrants’ Rights Coalition described the community’s anguish: “This was a father. This was a person who was trying his best to create a life and provide for his family. Overall there’s kind of just a general sense of confusion, pain and anger.”
The Colombian Embassy issued a statement expressing regret and requesting clarification from DHS regarding the circumstances of the death.
What’s Next
With multiple investigations underway — federal and state — the case could produce conflicting findings, potentially complicating any prosecution or policy reform. The shooting has become a flashpoint in the national debate over immigration enforcement, particularly in Maine, a state not typically associated with heavy ICE operations. ICE arrests in Maine have more than quadrupled since early June, reaching approximately 70 per day.
Key questions remain: Will the officer face charges? Will DHS mandate body cameras for all ICE agents? And how will this affect the political landscape, including Sen. Susan Collins’ reelection campaign in a state now grappling with the human cost of an intensified immigration crackdown?