Two individuals were hospitalized in Glen Burnie after an exchange of gunfire involving Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents on Christmas Eve, officials report. The incident, which unfolded on the 500 block of West Court at approximately 10:51 a.m., began when ICE agents, during a targeted immigration enforcement operation, approached a white van and were allegedly met with an attempt by the driver to run them over, prompting agents to discharge their firearms at the moving vehicle.
Following the shooting, the van drove off the road and crashed into a wooded area behind residential homes, according to FOX Baltimore. The driver, Tiago Alexandre Sousa-Martins, was struck by the gunfire, taken to a local hospital, and is said to be in stable condition, whereas the passenger, Solomon Antonio Serrano-Esquivel, also hospitalized, sustained minor injuries resulting from the incident. Both men have been reported as undocumented immigrants from Portugal and El Salvador, respectively.
Anne Arundel County Police Department did not participate in the shooting but, alongside the FBI, is investigating the occurrence, while ICE conducts an internal review of the events. Meanwhile, WMAR-2 News cites ICE spokesperson's statements that Sousa-Martins had been living illegally in the U.S. for 17 years after overstaying his visa.
Assistant Secretary for Public Affairs at the U.S. Department of Homeland Security, Tricia McLaughlin, expressed concern over "extremist anti-ICE rhetoric" fueling aggression towards officers, saying, "This incident, which is still under investigation, comes as the extremist anti-ICE rhetoric and outright lies of politicians, the news media, activists, and violent agitators continue to fuel a more than 1,150% increase in assaults against ICE officers," she told WMAR-2 News. Governor Wes Moore has also responded, stating his readiness to support the community as more information becomes available.
