ICE Pursuit Ends in St. Paul Crash, Driver Injured

A high-speed pursuit by federal immigration agents ended in a multicar crash at a busy St. Paul intersection Wednesday morning, injuring only the driver being chased and drawing a large crowd to the scene.

The incident unfolded around 9:40 a.m. at Western and Selby avenues, where U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement officers were attempting to stop Alexander Romero-Avila, a Honduran national in the country illegally who had been released in 2022, according to a statement from Department of Homeland Security Assistant Secretary Tricia McLaughlin. Romero-Avila evaded the stop by driving recklessly, running red lights and endangering others on the road, McLaughlin said. His vehicle collided with at least three other cars, including an ICE enforcement vehicle, before striking a snowbank.

St. Paul police officers arrived shortly after the call and assisted at the scene, confirming the pursuit led to the crash. The department's preliminary report noted that Romero-Avila sustained non-life-threatening injuries and was transported by fire department medics to Regions Hospital for evaluation. No other individuals, including civilians in the affected vehicles or ICE officers, required...