Large protests erupted in the small town of Biddeford, Maine, on Monday, July 13, 2026, after Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) Agents fatally shot a 26-year-old Colombian-born man in what appears to be a horrible case of mistaken identity.
A Ring doorbell camera near the shooting scene captured the audio of at least five gunshots fired by the ICE Agents. None of the agents were wearing body cameras, according to Maine Senator Angus King and Congressman Chellie Pingree.
(UPDATE: It has since been reported that Agents DID have body cameras, but did not turn them on).
A video shot by an eyewitness passing by in a car shows ICE Agents alongside a car slowly driving in a circle. Agents eventually stopped the car by ramming it with their vehicle.
Although several video clips have been released showing the scene shortly after the shooting, none have surfaced showing the shooting as it happened.
The New York Times reports that Mia Covino heard the shots and looked out her window to see “two law enforcement agents in plain clothes and green vests in the street, as well as a white car slowly spinning in circles in the intersection. One of the agents was holding onto one of the car’s door handles, Ms. Covino said, “yelling, ‘He tried to run me over.’” The other agent was telling his colleague “to stop, to relax, to calm down.”
A video clip taken shortly after the shooting shows one agent appearing to console a fellow officer.
Daniel Boucher - who stepped outside his home after hearing the gunshots, told the Portland Press Herald that, as he watched the agents pull the driver from the car, he heard the man tell them “I tried to stop,” just before he collapsed.
The identities of those who shot the clips (which have been reposted many times on social media) are difficult to determine, although several reposters have indicated that their clips were released by the Portland Press Herald.
A Press Herald photo clearly shows multiple bullet holes in the windshield of the shooting victim’s car.
WGME-TV said a witness described what happened next: “He was my neighbor,” neighbor Valerie Brinkman said. “And his wife came running out screaming, ‘Mi amor, mi amor!’”
Maine Attorney General Aaron Frey released a statement that federal officials told him the shooting happened “as immigration agents were conducting an enforcement operation related to a final order of removal.” The agents told investigators that the victim “attempted to flee in a vehicle in the direction of the officer” when the shots were fired.
Protesters marched to the entrance to the Biddeford office of US Senator Susan Collins, who voted for a $70 billion package to fund U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) and Border Patrol through 2029, and released the following statement:
“The shooting in Biddeford requires a full and impartial investigation of what happened. It is my understanding that the Biddeford police have secured the site and that the FBI is investigating.” -US Senator Susan Collins
Maine Senator Angus King told the Portland Press Herald that he has informed DHS Secretary Markwayne Mullin that “we want a full, transparent and open investigation of this matter,’” and the ICE agents “should have been having body cameras two years ago when this whole thing started.”
Senator King also told reporters that Secretary Mullin contacted him later to tell him the man killed by ICE was not the intended target of the arrest warrant they were attempting to serve.
Neighbors and an immigrant rights group have identified the victim as 26-year-old Joan Sebastian Guerrero, originally of Colombia. He leaves behind a young wife and daughter, both of whom were at the scene of his killing.
Amidst all the inconsistencies cited, the Department of Homeland Security released the following statement, many hours after the fatal shooting occurred, which did NOT allege the victim attempted to run over an officer:
“On July 13, 2026, at approximately 7:00 AM ET, ICE was conducting targeted surveillance on the last known address of an illegal alien with a final order of removal. An illegal alien departed the residence in a vehicle. ICE law enforcement attempted to conduct a vehicle stop. The vehicle attempted to flee the scene and, fearing for public safety, an officer discharged his weapon.
The driver of the vehicle was struck, and emergency services were immediately contacted. He passed away from his injuries.
The Biddeford Police Department and FBI responded to the scene. DHS OIG has been notified, and like all discharges of firearms, this will be investigated. This is a developing situation, and we will update the public when more information is available.”
Maine Governor Janet Mills is not buying the DHS accounts. She has posted the following statement via x.com:
“This development makes this tragedy even more disturbing and infuriating, and it underscores the reckless and haphazard manner in which immigration enforcement operations are being conducted in Maine and across the country. This has to end.” -Maine Governor Janet Mills
(Note to our readers: The Portland Press Herald is updating this story in real time outside its paywall as a service to the public. You can access their coverage HERE.
The Press Herald is owned by the non-profit National Trust for Local News and is also a member of the non-profit Maine Trust for Local News. If you wish to support them, donations can be made here).
What should the Department of Homeland Security do to prevent more shootings like this?
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Abrazos,
Jack Beavers
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