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OSINT Dossier: Jose Garcia-Sorto -- ICE Shooting on Interstate 17

Date of Research: February 5, 2026 (enriched February 12, 2026)
Published by: Mortui Vivos Docent Intelligence Project
Subject: Jose Garcia-Sorto -- Shot by ICE Agent During Pre-Dawn Traffic Stop
Type: officer-involved-shooting / survivor
Confidence: MEDIUM-HIGH
Status: Dossier opened -- FBI investigation ongoing, no criminal charges filed

PRIVATE CONTRACTOR: CORECIVIC

Facility operated by CoreCivic — a for-profit prison corporation operating Florence Detention Center where Garcia-Sorto is held. CoreCivic profits directly from detention expansion. See Infrastructure for full contractor profiles.

Executive Summary

On October 29, 2025, at approximately 4:00 AM, Jose Garcia-Sorto -- a 24-year-old Honduran construction worker, husband, and father of two young children -- was shot by an ICE agent during a pre-dawn traffic stop on Interstate 17 near Dove Valley Road in north Phoenix, Arizona. Garcia-Sorto was driving to work when ICE officers initiated what a retired ICE agent confirmed was a surveillance-based targeted stop, not a routine traffic encounter.

DHS claims Garcia-Sorto "began to pull away" as officers approached and that an agent "in the path of the vehicle" fired two shots "defensively." Garcia-Sorto was hospitalized in stable condition. One ICE officer was also injured, though DHS has not specified how.

Physical Evidence Contradicts DHS Account

Photos from the scene show damage to the driver's side window of Garcia-Sorto's vehicle, but none to the windshield -- inconsistent with the DHS claim that Garcia-Sorto was driving directly at the agent. ICE refused to clarify whether the window damage was from a bullet, citing the "active FBI investigation."

Garcia-Sorto was subsequently transferred to the Florence Detention Center in Arizona. His wife, Anahi, reported that authorities held him under a different name, prohibited visitors, and refused to share information with the family. No criminal charges have been filed against Garcia-Sorto. The FBI opened the case as an "Assault on a Federal Officer" investigation, with results to be forwarded to the U.S. Attorney's Office for the District of Arizona for a charging decision. As of February 2026, no public updates have been released on the investigation's outcome.

The shooting was the 75th officer-involved shooting in Arizona in 2025 and part of a surge of at least 30 ICE and CBP shootings nationally since January 2025, resulting in at least 8 deaths. The identical "vehicle as weapon" justification has been used in virtually every case -- and has been contradicted by evidence in multiple others.

1. VICTIM PROFILE

Jose Garcia-Sorto

Field Detail
Full Name Jose Garcia-Sorto
Age 24 years old (at time of shooting)
Nationality Honduras
Immigration Status Undocumented (per DHS)
Time in United States Approximately 2 years (arrived ~2023)
Occupation Construction worker
Family Wife Anahi (Rodriguez); two young children
Residence Phoenix, Arizona area
Criminal History None reported; no prior immigration violations cited by DHS
Current Status Detained at Florence Detention Center, Arizona

A Worker, Heading to Work

Garcia-Sorto's wife told reporters he was driving to his construction job at 4 AM when ICE officers stopped him on I-17. She described him as "a good person who's liked by all." The couple has two young children. His wife said: "He would get home and hug the kids. And to see that he didn't get here yesterday..."

2. INCIDENT TIMELINE

October 29, 2025

~4:00 AM -- ICE officers initiate a traffic stop of Garcia-Sorto's vehicle on I-17 northbound near Dove Valley Road, north Phoenix.

DHS Account (Tricia McLaughlin statement):

"As officers approached the vehicle, Garcia-Sorto began to pull away. As the vehicle abruptly began speeding away, an officer was in the path of the vehicle. Fearing for his life, the officer defensively discharged his service weapon two times striking Garcia-Sorto's vehicle."

What DHS Has Not Explained:

  1. Why was Garcia-Sorto stopped? A retired ICE officer confirmed the agency "conducts surveillance on illegal immigrants before initiating traffic stops," but DHS has never stated what put Garcia-Sorto on their radar.
  2. Why 4 AM on a freeway? This timing is consistent with targeted enforcement, not routine traffic policing.
  3. How was the officer in the "path" of a vehicle leaving the scene? The standard vehicle-threat scenario involves a car accelerating toward an officer, yet the physical evidence contradicts this.
  4. Why was the driver's side window damaged but not the windshield? If Garcia-Sorto drove directly at the agent, shots through the windshield would be expected. Side window damage suggests the vehicle was moving laterally -- away, not toward.
  5. How was the ICE officer injured? DHS has provided no details on the nature of the officer's injury or how it was sustained.

Outcome:

  • Garcia-Sorto: Shot, hospitalized in stable condition. Later transferred to Florence Detention Center.
  • ICE officer: Hospitalized, evaluated, and released same day. Placed on administrative leave pending investigation.
  • Traffic impact: Northbound I-17 off-ramp at Dove Valley Road temporarily closed.

Held Under a Different Name

Garcia-Sorto's wife Anahi reported: "They don't wanna say anything to me. They're only saying that he's in the hospital, but that he's in there with a different name, and that they don't want him to talk, and no one can visit him." She learned of the shooting from her brother, who saw the news on television. The family has been denied access and information since the shooting.

3. INVESTIGATION

FBI Investigation

Lead Agency: FBI Phoenix Field Office
Case Type: Assault on a Federal Officer (AFO)
Status: Under investigation (no public updates as of February 2026)

The FBI was not part of the initial ICE enforcement operation. Following the shooting, the FBI opened an AFO case. Results will be forwarded to the U.S. Attorney's Office for the District of Arizona for a charging decision.

Key Question: Who Is Being Investigated?

The FBI's AFO case classification frames Garcia-Sorto as the potential perpetrator -- assaulting an officer with his vehicle. This is not an investigation into the officer's use of force. The framing mirrors cases like Marimar Martinez and Carlitos Parias, where the FBI initially opened AFO cases that later collapsed under evidence scrutiny.

Criminal Charges

Against Garcia-Sorto: No criminal charges have been announced as of February 2026.
Against the ICE officer: No charges or disciplinary actions have been publicly announced.

Local Police

Phoenix Police Department stated they are not investigating the shooting, deferring entirely to the FBI and ICE. This mirrors a pattern documented by ProPublica in which local police rarely investigate federal agents, even in officer-involved shootings.

Body Camera Footage

Federal policy requires all ICE personnel to wear body-worn cameras during enforcement activities. It is unknown whether the shooting officer was wearing one. No footage has been released.

A retired ICE officer who says he knows the shooter commented: "I think every law enforcement officer should have one on. I think it provides the public the transparency that they need and deserve and I think it provides the officers protection."

The Body Camera Gap

At the time of the Garcia-Sorto shooting, ICE had approximately 4,400 cameras for 22,000 employees. Camera deployment was limited to select cities, with no confirmation that Phoenix was among them. The FOCUS Act, introduced by Senator Cory Booker following the killings of Renee Good and Alex Pretti in Minneapolis, would mandate body cameras for all federal law enforcement officers.

4. THE ICE OFFICER

The officer who fired the shots has not been publicly identified.

Known facts:
- Placed on administrative leave pending investigation (standard protocol)
- Evaluated at a hospital and released the same day
- Described by a retired ICE colleague as "a good officer, solid officer. No issues at all"
- The retired officer assessed: "His actions seem like they were in line with the use of force policy. His life sounds like it was in danger."

The anonymity of the shooting officer stands in contrast to the full public identification and vilification of Garcia-Sorto by DHS.

5. COMMUNITY RESPONSE

Vigil at ICE Field Office -- October 29, 2025

Approximately 14 hours after the shooting, 40-50 people gathered outside ICE's Phoenix field office at 2035 North Central Avenue for a vigil organized by community groups.

Elected officials present:

  • Phoenix City Councilmember Anna Hernandez (D-District 7): "We still don't know the details of why ICE stopped this person. They are the ones bringing violence to our neighborhoods." Hernandez, who lost her brother Alejandro to a Phoenix police shooting in 2019, has been one of the most vocal critics of ICE enforcement in Phoenix.
  • State Senator Analise Ortiz (D): Attended the vigil. Ortiz was already under ethics investigation and received death threats for sharing publicly available information about ICE operations near a school. The ACLU and Arizona AG Kris Mayes defended her First Amendment rights.

Community speakers:

  • Maria Teresa Mabry (Arizona Democracy Resource Center, co-executive director): "We are grateful that Garcia-Sorto is still alive and pray that he remains alive. We know that this is not an isolated incident, that police brutality and harm from the state is not new for us."
  • Joel Cornejo (Semillas Arizona, grassroots organizer): "ICE is not public safety. ICE is violence. ICE is trauma. ICE is terror dressed as law."
  • Karla Bautista (Trans Queer Pueblo, liberation project director): Spoke in Spanish about federal authorities "fomenting fear" to silence vulnerable communities. Also raised the case of Yari Marquez, detained at Eloy Detention Center since February with leukemia.
  • Clarissa Vela (People First Project, founder): Expressed skepticism about DHS account: "Something doesn't smell right here." Advised community members to film ICE interactions and refuse warrantless home entry. Promoted the Know Your Rights hotline: (888) 354-4594.

Organizations involved:

  • Poder in Action
  • People First Project
  • Arizona Democracy Resource Center
  • Trans Queer Pueblo
  • Semillas Arizona

Broader Community Impact

The shooting heightened existing fears in Phoenix's immigrant communities. Community organizers reported increased anxiety about ICE operations and described a chilling effect on willingness to drive to work or travel on highways. The incident occurred amid reports that ICE was targeting the Phoenix metro area for expanded enforcement and detention operations.

6. PATTERN ANALYSIS: THE "WEAPONIZED VEHICLE" PLAYBOOK

The Standard DHS Script

The Garcia-Sorto shooting follows a pattern now documented across 30+ ICE and CBP shootings since January 2025. In virtually every case, DHS deploys the same narrative framework:

  1. Agent claims to be "in the path of" or "struck by" the vehicle
  2. Agent fires "defensively" while "fearing for his life"
  3. DHS labels the victim a dangerous criminal who "weaponized" their vehicle
  4. FBI opens an "Assault on a Federal Officer" case (framing the victim as perpetrator)
  5. DHS blames "radical rhetoric" and "sanctuary politicians" for the violence
  6. Local police defer investigation to the FBI
  7. No body camera footage is released
  8. The officer's identity is protected

How the Script Has Collapsed in Other Cases

Case DHS Claim What Evidence Showed
Marimar Martinez (Chicago, Oct 4) "Domestic terrorist" who "ambushed" agents Body cam showed agents saying "time to get aggressive." Agent steered toward her car. Shot 5 times. Charges dismissed with prejudice. Agent bragged: "Put that in your book boys."
Carlitos Parias (Los Angeles, Oct 21) "Weaponized vehicle" Body cam showed car stationary when agent opened fire. 11 rounds. Charges dismissed with prejudice.
Carlos Jimenez (Ontario CA, Oct 30) Drove at officers U.S. citizen heading to food bank job. Shot from behind while driving away. Still faces charges.
Tiago Sousa-Martins (Glen Burnie MD, Dec 24) "Rammed van into ICE vehicles" Local police contradicted DHS account. Portuguese national shot on Christmas Eve. No charges filed.
Silverio Villegas Gonzalez (Franklin Park IL, Sep 12) "Struck agent, dragged significant distance" Agent's own statement: injuries "nothing major." Autopsy ruled homicide. No criminal history found despite DHS claims.
Renee Good (Minneapolis, Jan 7) "Domestic terrorism," agent "hit by vehicle" Video showed no visible injuries to agents. U.S. citizen and mother of three. Killed.

The Garcia-Sorto Evidence Gap

In Garcia-Sorto's case, the physical evidence raises the same questions:

  • Side window damage, not windshield -- inconsistent with head-on vehicle approach
  • No confirmation Garcia-Sorto was hit by bullets -- ICE has not clarified his injuries
  • No body camera footage released or confirmed to exist
  • No independent witnesses have come forward
  • No local police investigation -- Phoenix PD deferred entirely

The 4 AM Factor

The pre-dawn timing is tactically significant. ICE enforcement operations at 4 AM on a highway:

  • Minimize witnesses
  • Catch targets en route to work (construction workers routinely start early)
  • Limit daylight documentation
  • Reduce potential community interference
  • Create isolation -- a lone driver on a highway confronted by armed federal agents in the dark

The retired ICE officer confirmed that the agency conducts surveillance before initiating these stops, confirming this was a planned operation, not a random traffic stop.

Expert Criticism

Minneapolis Police Chief Brian O'Hara: "In any professional law enforcement agency in the country, I think they would tell you it's obviously very concerning whenever there's a shooting into a vehicle of someone who's not armed."

Most major U.S. police departments, and the federal Department of Justice's own guidelines, prohibit or strongly discourage firing at moving vehicles. The Police Executive Research Forum considers it a best practice to never fire at a moving vehicle except when someone in the vehicle poses an immediate lethal threat with a firearm.

7. DHS DISINFORMATION ANALYSIS

Tricia McLaughlin's Role

DHS Assistant Secretary for Public Affairs Tricia McLaughlin issued the official statement on the Garcia-Sorto shooting. McLaughlin has been documented issuing false or misleading statements across multiple ICE shooting incidents:

Incident McLaughlin Claim Contradicted By
Garcia-Sorto (Phoenix) "Defensively discharged" Physical evidence (window vs. windshield damage)
Marimar Martinez (Chicago) "Domestic terrorist" who "ambushed" agents Body camera footage, charges dismissed
Renee Good (Minneapolis) "Act of domestic terrorism" Video evidence, no visible agent injuries
Alex Pretti (Minneapolis) "Wanted to do maximum damage and massacre law enforcement" Challenged by Fox News host Dana Perino on air

The Inflated Assault Statistics

DHS has repeatedly cited a "1,000% increase" (later escalated to 1,300%, then 3,200%) in assaults on ICE officers. The Garcia-Sorto shooting was included in DHS's list of "182 vehicle attacks since President Trump took office."

The Numbers Don't Add Up

NPR's independent analysis found the White House's "1,000% increase" claim was unsupported by available data. Court records showed approximately a 25% rise in charges for assault against federal officers -- a small fraction of the claimed increase. DHS declined to provide methodology or source data for its claims. Former FBI agent Bob Pence warned that "when law enforcement officers engage in hype or make outright misleading statements, it jeopardizes trust in the system."

DHS Statement After the Shooting

DHS released: "These are the consequences of conduct and rhetoric by dishonest politicians who spew misinformation and activists who urge illegal aliens to resist arrest. Resisting arrest puts the safety of illegal aliens, law enforcement, and the public at risk."

This statement blames victims, politicians, and activists -- rather than addressing the questions raised by the physical evidence.

8. DETENTION CONDITIONS

Garcia-Sorto was transferred to the Florence Detention Center in Florence, Arizona, operated by the private prison company CoreCivic.

Florence Detention Center Conditions (2025-2026)

  • Measles outbreak: Three confirmed cases by late 2025, with quarantine measures severely restricting detainee movement. An ongoing measles outbreak spanning Arizona and Utah reached 231 cases in Arizona, including 25 in 2026.
  • Lack of transparency: Advocates reported being unable to get information on quarantine protocols from facility operators. "We have to find out what protocols they're following to contain it by hearing it from detainees."
  • Forced waits: Detainees being transferred to Florence were reportedly forced to wait more than 24 hours on a bus outside the facility due to outbreak protocols.
  • Massive expansion: ICE added over 1,200 beds to Arizona facilities in 2025, representing the largest expansion of immigration detention infrastructure in the state's history, fueled by Congress's $45 billion funding package for new detention centers.

9. WHO IS RESPONSIBLE

The shooting of Jose Garcia-Sorto does not exist in a vacuum. It is the product of deliberate policy decisions, institutional culture, and a chain of command that has created the conditions for federal agents to shoot civilians during routine enforcement operations.

Chain of Command

  • Kristi Noem -- DHS Secretary. Oversees all ICE operations. Defended the "vehicle attack" narrative repeatedly. After ICE killed Renee Good in Minneapolis, Noem claimed the agent had been "hit by the vehicle" -- a claim contradicted by video evidence. Noem has visited CECOT in El Salvador and praised its torture-documented conditions as a model for U.S. detention.

  • Tom Homan -- "Border Czar" and former ICE Director. Architect of the current mass deportation campaign. Set a quota of 3,000 arrests per day, driving the rapid expansion and undertrained deployment of ICE agents that has led to the shooting surge.

  • Stephen Miller -- Senior White House Advisor. Principal architect of immigration enforcement policy since 2017. Directed family separation affecting 5,556 children. Controls daily DHS operations through 10 AM calls. Holds Palantir stock with financial interest in enforcement expansion.

  • Pam Bondi -- Attorney General. The U.S. Attorney's Office that will decide whether to charge Garcia-Sorto -- or the officer who shot him -- operates under her authority. Bondi has publicly supported DHS's characterization of immigrants as dangerous criminals.

  • Tricia McLaughlin -- DHS Assistant Secretary for Public Affairs. Issued the official statement characterizing the shooting as defensive. Has been documented making false statements across multiple ICE shooting cases. When asked about agents wearing Halloween masks during raids, she responded: "Happy Halloween!"

Institutional Enablers

  • CoreCivic -- Private prison company operating Florence Detention Center where Garcia-Sorto is held. Profits directly from detention expansion.
  • FBI Phoenix -- Opened an AFO case framing Garcia-Sorto as the potential perpetrator rather than the victim.
  • Phoenix Police Department -- Declined to investigate the shooting, deferring to federal agencies.

10. LEGISLATIVE RESPONSE

Federal Legislation

The Garcia-Sorto shooting, as part of the broader pattern of ICE shootings, has contributed to several legislative responses:

  • FOCUS Act (Federal Officer Camera Usage for Safety Act) -- Introduced by Senator Cory Booker (D-NJ). Would require all federal law enforcement officers to wear body cameras during official duties and mandate annual compliance reports. Catalyst: the killings of Renee Good and Alex Pretti in Minneapolis.

  • FLESA Act (Federal Law Enforcement Standards and Accountability Act) -- Companion bill addressing hiring, training, and suitability standards for the 12,000+ new DHS officers hired in a single year (a 120% increase).

  • Immigration Enforcement Staff Body Camera Accountability Act (H.R. 4651) -- Requires always-on cameras and establishes penalties for non-compliance.

State-Level Response

Arizona State Senator Analise Ortiz, who attended the Garcia-Sorto vigil, faced an ethics complaint from Republican Senator Jake Hoffman for sharing publicly available information about ICE operations near a school. The Arizona Attorney General and ACLU defended her First Amendment rights. Ortiz received death threats and calls for her expulsion from the Legislature.

11. CRITICAL QUESTIONS

  1. Is there body camera footage? Federal policy requires cameras. Has ICE confirmed whether the shooting officer was wearing one?
  2. Why the driver's side window? If Garcia-Sorto was driving at the agent head-on, why was the side window damaged and not the windshield?
  3. What were Garcia-Sorto's actual injuries? ICE stated he was "wounded" but has not confirmed he was struck by a bullet.
  4. How was the ICE officer injured? DHS has provided zero details on the nature or cause of the officer's injury.
  5. What surveillance was conducted? The retired ICE officer confirmed pre-stop surveillance. What intelligence led to this specific 4 AM stop?
  6. What is Garcia-Sorto's current status? Is he still at Florence? Has he been deported? Has he had access to legal counsel?
  7. What is the FBI investigation's status? More than 3 months have passed with no public update.
  8. Will the U.S. Attorney prosecute? The AFO case results are pending review. Given the pattern of collapsed cases (Martinez, Parias), will prosecutors pursue charges with questionable physical evidence?

12. SOURCES

Tier 2 -- Reliable

  1. Phoenix New Times -- "Phoenix ICE Agent Shoots at Man During Interstate Traffic Stop" -- October 29, 2025
  2. Phoenix New Times -- "Phoenix Activists Hold Vigil for Injured Man Shot at by ICE Agent" -- October 29, 2025
  3. AZ Family -- "Family Says They're in the Dark After ICE Agent Shoots Man" -- October 31, 2025
  4. AZ Family -- "Man Hurt After ICE-Involved Shooting During Traffic Stop on I-17" -- October 29, 2025
  5. AZ Family -- "Retired Officer Offers Insight into ICE-Involved Shooting" -- November 1, 2025
  6. KTAR News -- "ICE Officer Shooting Phoenix Freeway: Honduran Man Shot" -- October 29, 2025
  7. 12 News -- "Man Shot by ICE Officer in Stable Condition" -- October 29, 2025
  8. ABC15 -- "ICE Officials Involved in Shooting During Traffic Stop" -- October 29, 2025
  9. NBC News -- "ICE and Border Patrol Shootings List"
  10. NPR -- "White House Claims '1,000%' Rise in Assaults on ICE Agents, Data Says Otherwise" -- October 10, 2025

Tier 3 -- Use With Caution

  1. Hoodline -- "Driver Injured in Phoenix ICE Shooting; FBI Investigates"
  2. Calo News -- "ICE 'Is Slowly Killing Us': Phoenix Community Pours Out in Support"

Tier 4 -- Compromised (Claims Only)

  1. FOX 10 Phoenix -- "Man Hurt in Shooting Involving ICE Officer on I-17" -- October 29, 2025
  2. Fox News -- "ICE Officer Shoots Illegal Immigrant During Phoenix Traffic Stop" -- October 30, 2025
  3. DHS -- "Vehicle Attacks" Press Release -- February 3, 2026

Cross-Reference Dossiers

FINAL ASSESSMENT

Overall Confidence: MEDIUM-HIGH

The basic facts of the shooting are established across 8+ independent local and national sources. The physical evidence (window vs. windshield damage) raises substantial questions about the DHS account. The victim's personal details (age, family, occupation, time in US) are confirmed by multiple sources through his wife's statements.

However, key gaps remain:

  • No body camera footage released or confirmed to exist
  • FBI investigation has produced no public updates in 3+ months
  • No independent witnesses have been identified
  • Garcia-Sorto's current legal status and location are unconfirmed
  • The ICE officer's identity remains protected

The Garcia-Sorto case is one data point in a documented pattern of ICE shootings using the "vehicle as weapon" justification -- a narrative that has collapsed under evidence scrutiny in at least three other cases (Martinez, Parias, Good). Until independent evidence emerges, the DHS account cannot be accepted at face value.

Every. Human. Matters.

A 24-year-old construction worker, driving to his job at 4 AM to provide for his wife and two children, was shot by an armed federal agent on a highway in the dark. He survived. He is now in a detention center. His family cannot see him. No one has been held accountable.

His name is Jose Garcia-Sorto. Remember it.

Published by Mortui Vivos Docent Intelligence Project
Methodology: Bellingcat-standard OSINT -- public sources only
Dossier opened February 5, 2026 -- active monitoring