2 injured after shooting during ICE operation in Maryland, DHS says
- - 2 injured after shooting during ICE operation in Maryland, DHS says
N'dea Yancey-Bragg, USA TODAY December 24, 2025 at 10:49 PM
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2 injured after shooting during ICE operation in Maryland, DHS says
Two people were injured on Wednesday, Dec. 24, after U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement officers opened fire on a vehicle during an enforcement operation in Maryland, federal officials said.
Officers were conducting a "targeted immigration enforcement operation" in Glen Burnie, Maryland, just south of Baltimore, when they approached a van with two undocumented men, according to a statement from the Department of Homeland Security. DHS said officers ordered the driver, identified as Tiago Alexandre Sousa-Martins, to turn off the engine, but he "refused and attempted to flee" and proceeded to ram his van into other ICE vehicles.
"He then drove his van directly at ICE officers, attempting to run them over," officials said on social media.
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DHS said the ICE officers fired their weapons and struck Sousa-Martins, who crashed the vehicle. The passenger, identified as Solomon Antonio Serrano-Esquivel, a native of El Salvador, was injured in the crash.
Federal officials shared photos of the damaged white van, which appeared to have collided with a tree in a wooded area. Both men were hospitalized and are expected to recover from their injuries, DHS said, adding that no officers were severely injured.
Local police responded to the scene at about 10:51 a.m. and are now investigating the shooting, Justin Mulcahy, a spokesperson for the Anne Arundel County Police Department, told reporters. The Federal Bureau of Investigation is investigating the alleged assault on the officers, and ICE is conducting its own internal investigation, Mulcahy added.
"It's a multi-layered incident with obviously our federal partners involved," Anne Arundel County Police Chief Amal E. Awad said.
Maryland governor 'aware' of shooting incident
Sousa-Martins, a native of Portugal, stayed in the United States for nearly 17 years after his visa expired, according to the New York Times and CNN, citing federal officials. DHS, ICE, and the Anne Arundel County Police Department did not immediately respond to requests for comment from USA TODAY.
Maryland Gov. Wes Moore said on social media he was "aware" of the incident.
"As information surrounding the incident continues to emerge, we will remain in touch with local officials and are standing by to provide support for the community," Moore said.
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Stephen Miller, the White House deputy chief of staff, described vehicular attacks on ICE officers as "domestic terrorism."
The incident comes as the Trump administration has ramped up immigration enforcement actions nationwide as part of a push to conduct a record number of deportations. The federal immigration raids and deportations have sparked pushback and protests in dozens of states.
ICE agents in September shot and killed a man who they said had tried to run them over with a car, though security and body camera footage raised doubts about the situation.
Contributing: Reuters
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: ICE shooting in Maryland leaves 2 people injured: Federal officials
Source: “AOL Breaking”
