A United States (U.S.) Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) officer recently killed a man at a traffic stop in Maine, prompting authorities to largely pause vehicle stops for now.
The incident occurred on Monday, July 14, when the federal agents were tracking the last known address of another man with a final deportation order.
According to the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), agents tried to stop the now-dead man’s car but he tried to drive away, prompting an officer to open fire out of fear for public safety. The man, identified as 26-year-old Joan Sebastian Guerrero from Colombia, died from his injuries; however, it was later revealed that he wasn’t the one ICE was looking for.
According to neighbours, the victim was married and had a two or three year old daughter.
Maine Senator Angus King said Homeland Security Secretary Markwayne Mullin first told him Guerrero was the man agents were looking for. About three hours later, King said Mullin called back and admitted that wasn’t true. Guerrero wasn’t the intended target after all.
King is now pushing for a full, transparent investigation. He also said body cameras still haven’t reached every ICE unit, including in Biddeford. He was told cameras were coming, but possibly not for another 45 days.
This is the second deadly ICE shooting in less than two weeks. Just days earlier, ICE agents shot and killed a Mexican man, Lorenzo Salgado Araujo, during a similar vehicle stop in Houston. His brother, who was in the vehicle with him, said someone simply said “stop” and fired immediately.
Both shootings involved traffic stops, a tactic ICE has leaned on heavily to make immigration arrests. Following the backlash, ICE has reportedly told agents to largely pause vehicle stops for now.
2026-07-15 01:20:00
