U.S. Immigration Agents Fatally Shoot Colombian Father in Maine

A young Colombian delivery worker died during an ICE operation in Biddeford, Maine, sparking demands for international accountability from Colombia's outgoing president.

U.S. Immigration Agents Fatally Shoot Colombian Father in Maine

A 26-year-old delivery driver from Colombia lost his life during an enforcement action carried out by American immigration officers in Biddeford, Maine, on July 13, 2026. Joan Sebastián Durán Guerrero, who had a young child, was struck by gunfire from personnel belonging to the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement agency while they conducted an operation in which he was reportedly not the intended subject.

The deadly encounter unfolded in the presence of Durán Guerrero's three-year-old daughter. According to former American Vice President Kamala Harris, the toddler witnessed the fatal shooting while dressed in children's sleepwear featuring the cartoon character Bluey. Harris stated this marked the second instance within seven days where ICE personnel had killed an individual whom the agency itself acknowledged was not the main target of their mission.

Harris issued a public call for an urgent, impartial, and open inquiry into the circumstances surrounding the death. She insisted that any officials found to have acted improperly must face consequences, declaring that the young father "should still be alive" and that such events "cannot be acceptable in America."

Across borders, outgoing Colombian President Gustavo Petro reacted with sharp condemnation. Through his social media presence, Petro framed the incident as a killing perpetrated by the American government against a citizen of Colombia and Latin America. He contended that the victim was treated as a lesser human without protections, despite possessing inherent rights simply by virtue of being a person.

Petro went further, asserting that ICE should face worldwide condemnation and that judicial authorities anywhere on earth could pursue charges related to crimes against humanity, regardless of Washington's stance on international courts. He pressed Colombia's diplomatic representatives in the United States to pursue rapid legal remedies so that those behind the fatal shooting would answer for their actions in court.

The Colombian leader also directed criticism toward his successor, questioning why President-elect Abelardo de la Espriella had remained silent following this death and a prior suicide of a Colombian inside ICE detention. Additionally, Petro publicly asked American President Donald Trump to communicate directly with Colombia about the matter.

Drawing on historical precedent, Petro linked the circumstances to prohibited practices of targeting civilian groups based on ethnic and cultural identity, referencing the legacy of the Nuremberg tribunal. He expressed hope that Durán Guerrero would find peace as a victim of what he described as state-driven persecution against a population group.

Source: Infobae

Source: Google News CO — Crime