Judge Dismisses Assault Charges Against Two Venezuelan Immigrants

A federal judge in Minneapolis dismissed felony assault charges on Friday against two Venezuelan immigrants, Alfredo Alejandro Aljorna and Julio Cesar SosaCelis, after prosecutors acknowledged that newly discovered evidence contradicted the government's initial account of a January confrontation with immigration officers.

The case stemmed from an incident on January 14, when U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents attempted a traffic stop on Interstate 94 of a vehicle driven by Aljorna, whose license plate had been flagged in connection with an immigration violation. According to an FBI affidavit, Aljorna crashed the vehicle, fled on foot to a nearby apartment complex and resisted arrest during a chase by an unidentified ICE officer. As the two struggled on the ground, SosaCelis emerged from an apartment and became involved, leading the officer to fire his handgun and strike SosaCelis in the upper right thigh. The men then retreated into the apartment, where they were arrested after federal agents deployed tear gas. Two young children, both under age 2, were inside at the time, and Aljorna and SosaCelis surrendered to authorities out of concern for their safety.