ICE Agent Fatally Shoots Wrong Target in Maine

An Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agent fatally shot Joan Sebastian Guerrero, a 26-year-old Colombian national, on July 13, 2026, at the intersection of Hill Street and Pool Street in Biddeford, Maine. The U.S. Department of Homeland Security stated the agent fired because the driver attempted to flee and "weaponized" the vehicle against officers. However, Homeland Security Secretary Markwayne Mullin privately admitted to Senator Angus King that Guerrero was not the intended target of the warrant being executed.

Guerrero, a father authorized to work in the U.S., was shot in the head. Eyewitnesses have disputed the agency's claims, reporting instead that agents shot at the car. The incident occurred amid a broader immigration crackdown during President Donald Trump's second term, marking the ninth death in such operations. The agent involved has been placed on leave, and investigations are being led by the FBI, the DHS Office of Inspector General, and the Maine Attorney General’s Office.

The shooting sparked immediate protests in Biddeford and at Senator Susan Collins' office. Governor Janet Mills condemned the operation as "reckless and haphazard." The event follows a similar fatal ICE shooting the previous week in Houston, Texas, where officer shot Lorenzo Salgado Araujo, also an unintended target. According to the Gun Violence Data Hub, there have been at least 29 shootings by federal immigration officials during the current administration, resulting in eight fatalities.