Summary: DHS has revised its account of a December 24 ICE shooting in Glen Burnie after Anne Arundel County police released details contradicting the department’s initial statement. DHS now says one injured man was a passenger in an ICE vehicle that was rammed, not a passenger in the fleeing van. The driver, Tiago Alexandre Sousa-Martins, was shot and is in ICE custody; Solomon Antonio Serrano-Esquivel was treated for whiplash and is also in custody. The incident is under independent investigation amid increased scrutiny of recent ICE operations.
DHS Revises Account of Christmas Eve ICE Shooting in Glen Burnie After Police Contradiction
Photos show damaged cars involved in an immigration enforcement operation in Maryland where one undocumented immigrant was shot, according to DHS. - Department of Homeland Security
The Department of Homeland Security has revised its description of an immigration enforcement–related shooting that occurred on December 24 in Glen Burnie, Maryland, after details in the department’s initial statement were contradicted by local police.
What Happened
In an initial release, DHS said Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) officers "defensively fired" at a van occupied by two undocumented migrants during a targeted enforcement operation, stating the driver rammed ICE vehicles while attempting to flee and then "drove his van directly at ICE officers, attempting to run them over." DHS originally said the van driver was shot and wounded and the passenger was injured when the van crashed seconds later.
Revised Account
In a revised statement to CNN, DHS Assistant Secretary Tricia McLaughlin said the department now believes that one of the injured men was not a passenger in the fleeing van but was "a passenger in one of the ICE vehicles that was rammed." That detail was first disclosed by the Anne Arundel County Police Department, which is leading an independent investigation.
"To clarify preliminary information released publicly on the shooting involving ICE agents in Glen Burnie, Maryland, on December 24, 2025: one ICE detainee who was injured during the incident was already in custody in an ICE vehicle, and the other individual injured was struck by gunfire while operating a separate vehicle," the police department said.
People Involved And Injuries
Authorities identified the driver as Tiago Alexandre Sousa-Martins, a Portuguese national, and the other man as Salvadoran national Solomon Antonio Serrano-Esquivel. According to DHS, officers approached the van and asked Sousa-Martins to turn off the engine; officials say he refused, attempted to leave the scene, rammed ICE vehicles and then drove toward officers, prompting them to fire.
DHS said officers provided medical aid to both men and transported them to a hospital. Sousa-Martins was shot and later was recorded in ICE custody at a detention center in Bowling Green, Virginia. Serrano-Esquivel was treated for whiplash and is now also in ICE custody, according to DHS. No ICE agents were reported injured in the incident.
Outstanding Questions
The revised account also left some inconsistencies: McLaughlin described Sousa-Martins’ van as wrecked "between two buildings," while photos posted by DHS on X (formerly Twitter) show a white van crashed into a tree. DHS has not clarified that discrepancy in public comments to CNN.
Broader Context
The correction comes amid heightened scrutiny of federal immigration enforcement, including protests and investigations after last week’s fatal ICE shooting of Renee Good in Minneapolis and other recent confrontations involving federal agents. DHS officials have maintained in several cases that drivers "weaponized" their vehicles and posed threats to officers; those claims are being examined by local and federal investigators.
The Anne Arundel County Police Department emphasized that its officers do not enforce immigration laws or conduct ICE operations and that its investigation into the December 24 incident is ongoing. CNN’s Taylor Romine contributed to reporting on this story.
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