Dossier: Tiago Alexandre Sousa-Martins -- Shot by ICE on Christmas Eve¶

Published by: Mortui Vivos Docent Intelligence Project
Dossier opened: February 5, 2026 | Last updated: February 12, 2026
Subject: Tiago Alexandre Sousa-Martins -- shot by three ICE ERO agents
Type: officer-involved-shooting / survivor
Confidence: HIGH (15+ independent sources across Tier 1-3 outlets, FBI affidavit, court filings, local police investigation)

Executive Summary¶

On December 24, 2025 -- Christmas Eve -- Tiago Alexandre Sousa-Martins, a Portuguese electrician who had lived in the United States for 17 years, was shot by three ICE Enforcement and Removal Operations agents during an attempted arrest in Glen Burnie, Maryland. He was shot in the left thigh and upper right back, collapsing his lung. He survived and was hospitalized at the Maryland Shock Trauma Center.

The Department of Homeland Security immediately constructed a narrative: Sousa-Martins had "rammed" ICE vehicles and "drove his van directly at ICE officers, attempting to run them over." They claimed a second undocumented man was in the van's passenger seat. Both claims were false.

DHS Lied -- Local Police Proved It

Anne Arundel County Police publicly contradicted the DHS account, confirming the second man injured -- Salomon Antonio Serrano-Esquivel -- was never in Sousa-Martins's van. He was already in ICE custody, handcuffed in the back of an ICE vehicle. DHS was forced to change its story. Senator Chris Van Hollen called it out from the Senate floor: "In my state of Maryland, DHS lied about the circumstances surrounding a non-fatal shooting. They were exposed in their lies because of a local county investigation that showed DHS was plain wrong."

After being shot, Sousa-Martins was charged with two federal crimes: resisting arrest and damaging government property. He is currently detained at a facility in Bowling Green, Virginia. His preliminary hearing rights were affirmed by U.S. Magistrate Judge Charles Austin after the court found "no indication" he had waived them. As of February 2026, proceedings have been delayed to late February while his defense reviews "lengthy video and voluminous photographic evidence" referenced by prosecutors.

1. Victim Profile¶

Tiago Alexandre Sousa-Martins¶

Field	Detail
Full Name	Tiago Alexandre Sousa-Martins
Nationality	Portuguese
Arrived in U.S.	December 2008
Visa Status	B-2 tourist visa, expired February 2009
Years in U.S.	17 years at time of shooting
Occupation	Electrician (performing electrical work at time of encounter)
Location	Glen Burnie, Maryland (Anne Arundel County)
Vehicle	White work van (registered in his name)
Injuries	Gunshot wound to left thigh; gunshot wound to upper right back; collapsed lung
Current Status	Detained at ICE facility, Bowling Green, Virginia
Charges	Resisting/opposing/impeding federal officers; damaging government property

What we know: Sousa-Martins came to the United States from Portugal in December 2008 on a B-2 visa. He did not leave when it expired in February 2009. For 17 years, he lived and worked in the Glen Burnie area as an electrician. On Christmas Eve morning, he was at a Lowe's hardware store -- likely purchasing supplies for a job. He told the FBI after being shot that he was "in the area to perform electrical work." He drove a white work van registered in his name. (Baltimore Banner; WBAL-TV; CNN)

What we don't know: His exact age has not been published. No reporting has surfaced about his family, whether he had children, or specific details of his community ties beyond his work as an electrician. This is a gap in reporting that deserves attention -- he is more than a case number.

2. The Second Victim: Salomon Antonio Serrano-Esquivel¶

Field	Detail
Full Name	Salomon Antonio Serrano-Esquivel
Nationality	El Salvador
Occupation	Landscape worker
Arrested	Morning of December 24, 2025, in Southern Maryland
Arrested with	A family member (unnamed)
Injuries	Neck injury, ankle injury (could not catch himself while handcuffed when ICE vehicle was struck)
Attorney	Alex Major

ICE Drove a Handcuffed Detainee Around for Hours Before the Shooting

According to an FBI affidavit, Serrano-Esquivel told the FBI that after his arrest in Southern Maryland, ICE agents spent "an hour of driving around to various public locations" in a "caravan" of six ICE vehicles -- one of which carried him, handcuffed. They arrived at the Lowe's parking lot in Glen Burnie, waited about 10 minutes, then followed Sousa-Martins's work van to the residential neighborhood. Serrano-Esquivel was injured when Sousa-Martins's van struck the ICE vehicle he was in. His hands were cuffed, so he could not brace himself.

Expert assessment: Policing experts noted that driving a handcuffed detainee around for an hour while conducting additional operations "would appear to run afoul of commonly accepted law enforcement practices." Standard procedure is to transport an arrestee to custody immediately after arrest for their safety and the officers' safety. (Baltimore Banner; CNN)

Serrano-Esquivel was "treated for whiplash at the hospital" on December 24 and remains in ICE custody. He told his brother-in-law about his injuries. (Baltimore Banner)

3. Incident Timeline¶

Christmas Eve, December 24, 2025¶

~10:00-10:30 AM -- ICE agents are "performing field operations" in the parking lot of Lowe's in Glen Burnie. They are in a caravan of six vehicles, including one containing the already-arrested Serrano-Esquivel. They spot a white work van, run the tags, and determine it is registered to Sousa-Martins, who is listed in a DHS database as having overstayed a B-2 visa since 2008. They identify him when he exits the store.

~10:30-10:50 AM -- Six officers in five vehicles follow Sousa-Martins from the Lowe's to a residential community on West Court, where he told the FBI he was going to perform electrical work. The agents box his van in with their vehicles in a parking area.

~10:50 AM -- Agents approach the van and order Sousa-Martins out. According to Sousa-Martins's account to the FBI, agents approached from the rear yelling "We've run your tags, we know you're an overstay -- we're going to break the glass" -- in Spanish. Sousa-Martins described the agents as angry and "at a 10."

Sousa-Martins refused to exit, repeatedly saying: "Why are you doing this? I'm a U.S. citizen" and "No, I'm not coming out."

~10:51 AM -- The encounter escalates. Immigration agents smash Sousa-Martins's window. He attempts to flee down a narrow path between condominiums. Three agents open fire. One bullet hits his left thigh. Another hits his upper right back. His van crashes into a tree behind the homes.

~10:51 AM+ onward -- Anne Arundel County Police respond to the 500 block of West Court. Both Sousa-Martins and Serrano-Esquivel are taken by ambulance to the Maryland Shock Trauma Center in Baltimore.

(Baltimore Banner; WBAL-TV; CNN; Fox Baltimore)

4. The DHS Lie -- And How It Unraveled¶

What DHS Said (December 24)¶

DHS Assistant Secretary Tricia McLaughlin issued the initial statement:

Two undocumented immigrants were in the van together
Sousa-Martins "began ramming his van into several ICE vehicles"
He "then drove his van directly at ICE officers, attempting to run them over"
"Fearing for their lives and public safety, the officers defensively fired their service weapons, striking the driver"
The passenger (Serrano-Esquivel) "was injured when the van crashed"

DHS also posted photos to X showing a white van crashed into a tree.

What Was Actually True¶

Serrano-Esquivel was never in Sousa-Martins's van
He was handcuffed in the back of an ICE vehicle when injured
He had been arrested hours before in Southern Maryland, not in Glen Burnie
McLaughlin also said Sousa-Martins "wrecked his car between two buildings" -- but DHS's own photos showed the van crashed into a tree, not between buildings

How The Lie Unraveled¶

Step 1: Attorney visits hospital. Alex Major, an attorney, visited Serrano-Esquivel at the hospital and learned the landscape worker had been pulled over in Southern Maryland with a family member and taken into custody that morning -- well before the shooting. Major went public with this account.

Step 2: Anne Arundel County Police investigate. County police conducted their own investigation and confirmed the truth. On January 9, 2026, they released a public statement: "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."

Step 3: DHS forced to revise. On January 10, 2026 -- after "repeatedly doubling down on their story" -- DHS changed its account. McLaughlin admitted Serrano-Esquivel "was a passenger in one of the ICE vehicles that was rammed." She claimed the original statement contained "an error."

This Was Not An Error -- It Was Disinformation

DHS did not issue a simple correction. They repeatedly doubled down over 17 days before reversing course -- and only after local police publicly contradicted them. The original statement was crafted to make two men in a single van appear more threatening, justifying the use of lethal force. The revision came only when sustaining the lie became more damaging than admitting it.

Senator Van Hollen, from the Senate floor: "In my state of Maryland, DHS lied about the circumstances surrounding a non-fatal shooting. They were exposed in their lies because of a local county investigation that showed DHS was plain wrong."

(CNN; Washington Post; Baltimore Banner; Patch; WMAR)

5. Criminal Charges Against the Victim¶

Charges Filed (January 21, 2026)¶

After being shot, hospitalized, and detained, Sousa-Martins was charged with two federal crimes:

Resisting, opposing, impeding, intimidating, or interfering with federal officers (18 U.S.C. SS 111)
Damaging government property (18 U.S.C. SS 1361)

The charges are based on an FBI affidavit by Special Agent Sean O'Rourke.

Court Proceedings¶

U.S. Magistrate Judge Charles Austin found "no indication that Mr. Sousa-Martins waived his right to a preliminary hearing, either orally or in writing, at or since the initial appearance"
Prosecutors referenced "lengthy video and voluminous photographic evidence" in discovery
Defense counsel stated they have "not yet had the opportunity to fully consult with her client about all aspects of the case and the evidence"
Proceedings delayed until late February 2026
Plea discussions may be ongoing -- prosecutors acknowledged "ongoing discussions with the defendant"
The Maryland Federal Public Defender's office is representing Sousa-Martins

Missing Evidence¶

No body camera footage has been released from the ICE agents
DHS has not responded to media requests for body camera footage
Neighbors provided Ring camera video of the shooting to Anne Arundel County Police
The "lengthy video" referenced by prosecutors has not been made public

Charging the Victim Is the Pattern

Sousa-Martins was shot, hospitalized with a collapsed lung, and then charged with crimes. This is not an anomaly -- it is a documented federal enforcement pattern. See Pattern Analysis below.

(Baltimore Banner; WBAL-TV; CBS Baltimore)

6. Political and Community Response¶

Congressional Response¶

Senator Chris Van Hollen (D-MD), Senate Floor

"They are giving agents a license to kill with impunity. Secretary Noem should be fired immediately, if not fired, impeached."

"I, for one, will not vote for one more dime for this lawless DHS operation that we're witnessing at this time."

"In my state of Maryland, DHS lied about the circumstances surrounding a non-fatal shooting. They were exposed in their lies because of a local county investigation that showed DHS was plain wrong."

"They're stopping and arresting people who are citizens, who are legal residents, who have legal pending asylum claims just because of how they look or their accent."

U.S. Rep. Sarah Elfreth (D-MD, 3rd District), whose district includes Anne Arundel County:

Stated Trump and Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem "have weaponized ICE to instill fear, division, and terrorize immigrant communities"
Said: "The rush to hire and deploy agents has raised real doubts surrounding the integrity and quality of their trainings -- resulting in these incidents in our neighborhoods and the further erosion of public trust"
On the day of the shooting: "The initial reports from today are deeply disturbing, which is why we need full transparency and accountability"
Subsequently signed articles of impeachment against DHS Secretary Kristi Noem

(CBS Baltimore; The Hill; Baltimore Banner)

County Executive Steuart Pittman¶

Anne Arundel County Executive Steuart Pittman, December 24, 2025

"This is exactly the kind of incident that I and my peers across the country have dreaded. We have federal law enforcement operating in our jurisdictions without the traditional notification of local police and often without identification. It is a recipe for violence, and that is what we experienced in our county today."

Pittman later said he was "sickened, not only by the actions of the ICE officer on the video in Minneapolis, but also by the lies told by Homeland Security and President Trump in the aftermath." (Baltimore Banner; Anne Arundel County Government)

Anne Arundel County Police Chief Amal Awad¶

Chief Awad emphasized that local officers do not enforce immigration law and are not involved in ICE operations. Three separate investigations are underway:

Anne Arundel County Police -- investigating the shooting itself
FBI -- investigating the alleged assault against federal agents
ICE Office of Professional Responsibility -- internal investigation

Community Response¶

Baltimore Protest (late December 2025):
Organized by the People's Power Assembly, protesters gathered at the ICE Field Office in Baltimore demanding ICE leave Maryland. Protesters supported proposed state legislation to ban local police cooperation with ICE. (WBAL-TV; WBAL Radio)

Neighborhood Response:
Andrew McCormack, a resident of the West Court neighborhood where the shooting occurred, said the subsequent Minneapolis ICE shooting "reminded me a lot of here" and added: "It is kind of terrifying when they are opening fire right by my house." Residents provided Ring camera video of the incident to Anne Arundel County Police. (WBAL-TV)

7. Pattern Analysis: Shot Then Charged¶

The "Weaponized Vehicle" Playbook¶

DHS claims of vehicular assault to justify shootings are not unique to this case. They follow a documented, repeating pattern:

Case	Date	DHS Claim	Reality	Charges Against Victim
Sousa-Martins (Glen Burnie, MD)	Dec 24, 2025	"Drove van directly at officers"	Three agents shot man fleeing; DHS lied about second person in van	Resisting arrest, property damage
Carlos Jimenez (Ontario, CA)	Oct 30, 2025	Assault on officer with vehicle	Shot from behind while driving away; was warning agents about school bus stop	Assault on federal officer (20 years)
Carlitos Parias (Los Angeles, CA)	Oct 21, 2025	"Weaponized his vehicle"	Body camera showed car stationary when shots fired; 11 rounds fired	Indictment dismissed with prejudice
Marimar Martinez (Chicago, IL)	Oct 4, 2025	"Domestic terrorist," "ambushed" agents	Body cam showed agent steered toward her; text: "fuck around and find out"	Charges dismissed with prejudice
Silverio Villegas Gonzalez (Franklin Park, IL)	Sep 2025	Agent "dragged by vehicle"	Fatal. DHS claimed self-defense.	N/A (victim killed)

The Pattern Is Clear

DHS claims a vehicle was "weaponized." They shoot. They charge the victim. When evidence emerges -- body cameras, local police investigations, eyewitness video -- the DHS account collapses. But by then, the victim is already shot, hospitalized, charged, and detained. The charge is the cover story. The shooting came first.

Scale: Since July 2025, The Wall Street Journal documented at least 13 instances of immigration officers firing at or into civilian vehicles. The Trace identified at least 20 shooting incidents by immigration agents since Trump's operations began. DHS Secretary Kristi Noem claimed agents faced "over 180 vehicle attacks" -- a number that has not been independently verified and that experts have questioned. (Stateline; NBC News; The Trace)

Expert assessment: "Everything about these incidents indicates that these are probably shootings that did not need to happen." Many U.S. police agencies, including the federal Department of Justice, have trained officers not to fire into moving vehicles or have banned the practice. Officers are trained not to stand in front of vehicles and then claim self-defense. (Stateline)

8. Who Is Responsible¶

The agents who shot Tiago Sousa-Martins on Christmas Eve did not act in a vacuum. They operated within a command structure that has systematically incentivized aggressive enforcement, loosened training standards, and defended agents who shoot first and fabricate justifications later.

Kristi Noem -- DHS Secretary¶

Noem defended the Glen Burnie shooting and refused to acknowledge DHS's false statements. She has claimed ICE faces "over 180 vehicle attacks" to justify lethal force. She has been called upon to resign or be impeached by Senator Van Hollen and at least 182 members of Congress. Her subordinate, Tricia McLaughlin, issued the original false statement and the belated revision.

Tom Homan -- "Border Czar"¶

Homan sets enforcement priorities from the White House without Senate confirmation or congressional oversight. He has overseen the deadliest year in ICE detention in two decades and has publicly threatened elected officials who resist immigration enforcement. The aggressive operational tempo that led to agents conducting a "caravan" of six vehicles, tailing a man from a Lowe's parking lot to his work site on Christmas Eve morning, reflects Homan's mandate for maximum enforcement at all times.

Todd Lyons -- Acting ICE Director¶

Lyons directly commands ICE ERO, the unit that shot Sousa-Martins. Under his leadership, agent training was cut from five months to 47 days, Spanish-language courses were eliminated, and hiring standards were loosened. He has presided over the deadliest period for ICE detainees in two decades. He has not apologized for the Glen Burnie shooting, retracted any false statements, or disciplined the agents involved. He compared deportation operations to Amazon Prime delivery logistics.

Tricia McLaughlin -- DHS Assistant Secretary for Public Affairs¶

McLaughlin personally issued the false initial statement on December 24 and then personally issued the revised statement on January 10 -- after 17 days of doubling down. She has also been implicated in false statements regarding the Renee Good shooting in Minneapolis and other incidents. Ohio State University law professor Cesar Cuauhtemoc Garcia Hernandez noted: "We're now in a situation in which official sources in the Trump administration are really tying themselves quite strongly to a particular narrative, regardless of what the widely disseminated videos suggest." McLaughlin is the person who constructs those narratives. (Stateline; CNN)

9. Critical Questions (Unresolved)¶

Who are the three agents who fired? Their names have not been publicly released. Have they been placed on administrative leave? Have they faced any discipline?
Why was this operation conducted on Christmas Eve morning? What was the operational necessity of a six-vehicle caravan targeting an electrician at a hardware store on a holiday?
Where is the body camera footage? If it exists, DHS has not released it. If it does not exist, that is itself significant -- were ICE agents operating without recording equipment?
What do the Ring camera videos show? Neighbors provided footage to police. This evidence has not been made public.
What is the "lengthy video and voluminous photographic evidence" prosecutors referenced? If this evidence supports the government's case, why hasn't it been released? If it contradicts the government's narrative -- as body camera footage did in the Martinez and Parias cases -- the public has a right to see it.
What happened to the three investigations? Anne Arundel County Police, the FBI, and ICE's Office of Professional Responsibility are all investigating. Have any concluded?
Is Sousa-Martins receiving adequate medical care in detention? He suffered a collapsed lung and two gunshot wounds. ICE stopped paying medical care contractors in October 2025.
Will this case follow the Martinez/Parias pattern? In both the Marimar Martinez and Carlitos Parias cases, charges against shooting victims were eventually dismissed with prejudice when evidence contradicted DHS narratives. If the video evidence in this case tells the same story, will prosecutors do the same?

10. Sources¶

Tier 1-2 Sources (Primary Reporting)¶

#	Source	What It Provides
1	Baltimore Banner -- FBI Affidavit / Charges	FBI affidavit details, three agents, Lowe's surveillance, Sousa-Martins's account
2	Baltimore Banner -- Serrano-Esquivel / Attorney	Serrano-Esquivel's account, attorney Alex Major, ICE caravan detail
3	Baltimore Banner -- Police Dispute ICE	Anne Arundel police contradiction, timeline
4	Baltimore Banner -- ICE Changes Story	DHS narrative revision after 17 days
5	Baltimore Banner -- Initial Reporting	Pittman statement, initial details
6	CNN -- DHS Changes Story	McLaughlin revision, photo discrepancy, expert analysis
7	CNN -- Initial Report	First-day reporting, DHS original statement
8	Washington Post -- DHS Revises Account	Account revision details
9	WBAL-TV -- Charges	Court documents, video evidence referenced
10	WBAL-TV -- Protest	People's Power Assembly, Ring camera video
11	WBAL-TV -- Questions Remain	Neighbor Andrew McCormack quote, Minneapolis parallels
12	Stateline -- DHS Accounts vs Evidence	Broader pattern, expert quotes, vehicle shooting analysis
13	NBC News -- ICE Shootings List	Comprehensive shooting tracker
14	The Trace -- Shooting Tracker	Gun violence data on immigration enforcement

Political Response Sources¶

#	Source	What It Provides
15	CBS Baltimore -- Van Hollen	Full Van Hollen quotes, Judge Austin ruling
16	The Hill -- Van Hollen	"Real domestic terrorists" quote
17	Anne Arundel County Government	Pittman official statement
18	Fox Baltimore	ICE confirms Serrano-Esquivel was in ICE vehicle
19	WSWS -- 9th Shooting	Context: 9th shooting by immigration agents that year
20	Patch -- Glen Burnie	Local coverage of narrative change

Final Assessment¶

Overall Confidence: HIGH

This case is verified across 20 independent sources from multiple tiers. The core facts -- that DHS issued a false account, that local police contradicted it, that DHS was forced to revise its story -- are confirmed by the Baltimore Banner, CNN, Washington Post, WBAL, Patch, WMAR, and Fox Baltimore independently.

Key findings:

DHS lied. The original statement placed two men in one van. One was handcuffed in the back of an ICE vehicle. DHS maintained this false account for 17 days.
Three agents shot an electrician. Six officers in five vehicles followed a man from Lowe's to his work site and opened fire on Christmas Eve morning.
The victim was charged after being shot. This follows the same pattern documented in the Jimenez, Parias, and Martinez cases.
No body camera footage has been released. The absence of transparency mirrors a pattern across ICE enforcement operations.
Local police broke the lie. Without Anne Arundel County Police conducting an independent investigation, DHS's false narrative would have stood.

What this case proves: Local police investigations are the only reliable check on DHS disinformation. When local agencies investigate independently, the truth emerges. When they defer to federal agencies, lies stand.

Dossier opened: February 5, 2026
Status: ACTIVE -- monitoring court proceedings (late February 2026 hearing), awaiting video evidence release, tracking three parallel investigations.

Every. Human. Matters.

Including on Christmas Eve.

Published by Mortui Vivos Docent Intelligence Project
Methodology: Bellingcat-standard OSINT -- public sources only