An agent from the Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) shot and killed Joan Sebastián Durán Guerrero, a 26-year-old Colombian from Bucaramanga, on Monday as he was heading to work in Biddeford, Maine.
What makes the case particularly disturbing is that, as confirmed hours later by the Secretary of Homeland Security himself, Durán Guerrero was not the target of the immigration operation.
What happened in Biddeford?
Around 7:00 in the morning, ICE agents were monitoring the last known address of an immigrant with a final deportation order in Biddeford, a working-class city of about 23,000 residents located 24 kilometers southwest of Portland.
When Durán Guerrero left that address in his vehicle, the agents attempted to intercept him.
According to the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), “the vehicle attempted to flee the scene and, out of concern for public safety, an officer discharged his weapon.”
The young man died due to the gunshots.
His white Kia sedan was left with four bullet impacts on the driver's side windshield.
The victim was not the target
The independent senator from Maine Angus King revealed that Secretary of Homeland Security Markwayne Mullin initially informed him that the victim was indeed the target of an arrest warrant, but about three hours later he called to correct that information.
"The question is: what did he do with his vehicle? Were the officers threatened? Did the threats justify the use of lethal force? That's what this investigation is about," King stated, according to Associated Press.
The Democratic governor of Maine, Janet Mills, reacted harshly:
"This fact makes the tragedy even more unsettling and outrageous, highlighting the reckless and arbitrary manner in which immigration control operations are conducted in Maine and across the country. This has to end."
Who was Joan Sebastián Durán Guerrero?
According to the EFE agency, Durán Guerrero had emigrated from Bucaramanga in search of opportunities and held a valid work permit and Social Security number.
He lived in Biddeford with his wife and their three-year-old daughter, and he had two jobs: he cleaned at a veterinary clinic in the mornings and made home deliveries in the afternoons.
His father, Omar Durán, stated to the Colombian media Blu Radio:
"He had his work permit. He was completing the paperwork they were asking for, showing up there as they requested."
He added, "He had a strong vision for moving forward, many dreams to fulfill. He was a good person, someone raised with values."
What the witnesses say
The testimonies contradict the official version on key points.
Daniel Boucher, who was watching from his third-floor apartment, stated that the driver was already injured when the vehicle began to move uncontrollably, and he clearly heard the victim's last words: “I tried to brake.”
Mary Hayes, a local resident, provided one of the most heart-wrenching testimonies:
"I saw a wife fall to her knees upon seeing her husband's lifeless body on the ground. I saw a little girl crying, wearing her pink backpack, because she will never see her father again."
Em Akerley, another nearby resident, stated to the television station WMTW: "I don't know what he did, but he didn't deserve to be executed on the street."
Without cameras and a concerning pattern
The agents involved did not carry body cameras, which prevents independent verification of any of the accounts, despite the fact that the Trump administration pledged to equip all immigration agents with cameras and then cut funding for the program by approximately 75%.
This is the second incident of lethal force used by ICE in less than a week: on July 7, in Houston, an agent killed Lorenzo Salgado Araujo, a 52-year-old Mexican who was also mistaken for someone else.
Since the beginning of Trump's second term, at least 18 immigrants have died in ICE custody, the highest rate in 22 years.
Reactions and Next Steps
The Embassy of Colombia in Washington formally requested the DHS “information and clarifications regarding the circumstances surrounding this unfortunate death” and announced consular assistance to the family.
The officer who fired was suspended from duty, and the investigation was assigned to the Office of the Inspector General of the DHS, with support from the FBI and state authorities.
Ruben Torres, from the Maine Coalition for Immigrant Rights, summed up the community's sentiment: "He was a father. He was someone who did everything possible to create a life and provide for his family."
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