Particle.news
Download on the App Store

ICE Agent Kills Colombian Motorist in Biddeford, Prompting Federal and State Investigations

FBI and Maine State Police are investigating after witnesses disputed Homeland Security’s account that the driver used his vehicle as a weapon.

Overview

  • The shooting occurred during an ICE surveillance operation and left a 26-year-old Colombian man dead, rights groups and local officials said.
  • The Biddeford incident, which took place Monday, July 13, is being probed by the FBI and Maine State Police while the DHS Office of Inspector General has been notified.
  • Witnesses near the scene said the driver appeared already injured and that he told bystanders “I tried to stop,” a claim that conflicts with Homeland Security’s reported assertion that the vehicle was “weaponized.”
  • Officials and lawmakers reported that the ICE agents involved were not wearing body-worn cameras and one agent has been placed on leave as part of standard protocol.
  • This is the second fatal ICE use-of-force shooting in less than a week following a July 7 death in Houston that DHS later said involved a mistaken target, and the cases have intensified calls for independent reviews and broader oversight of ICE tactics.