ICE agent who fatally shot Colombian immigrant in Maine sent racist emails about sister's Colombian partner, his mother says he should not have weapons

The ICE agent who fatally shot a Colombian immigrant in Maine earlier this year had previously sent racist emails attacking his sister's Colombian partner, according to a New York Times investigation. Despite his problematic past, none of which was kept a secret, David Brouillette was hired by ICE. David Brouillette, the agent identified by family members as the officer who shot 25-year-old Johan Sebastián Durán Guerrero in July, allegedly made a series of anti-immigrant remarks in emails sent to his sister, Elizabeth Emen, in 2021. In one email, Brouillette wrote about his sister's partner: "He can take his non citizen ass back to his country and enjoy his third world luxuries." He also attacked the Colombian man's background, writing that his "bloodline knows nothing about what it takes to earn and then CHERISH the freedom America offers." Emen told The New York Times that her brother had no basis for suggesting that her partner was undocumented. She said his comments reflected how he viewed the man because of his race. The Colombian man was legally living in the United States and was pursuing a PhD when Brouillette sent the emails. Emen and her partner have two children. Four years after the exchange, Brouillette fatally shot another Colombian national, Durán Guerrero, during an ICE operation in Biddeford, Maine, on July 13.

Durán Guerrero, 25, was shot and killed during an attempted vehicle stop by ICE agents. He was driving a car when officers attempted to stop him. ICE initially said it was conducting targeted surveillance at the last known address of an undocumented immigrant with a final order of removal. The agency said the vehicle attempted to flee and an officer fired because he feared for public safety. However, Maine lawmakers later said Durán Guerrero was not the intended target of the operation. The actual target was reportedly his roommate, who owned the vehicle he was driving. ICE later acknowledged that it had a warrant for a different person and that Guerrero was not the target. Durán Guerrero had a pending asylum case and a valid work permit, according to his family's attorneys. The Maine Attorney General's Office is investigating the shooting. Brouillette has not been charged with a crime.

Brouillette's relatives told The New York Times they had growing concerns about his behaviour, including alleged violence, abusive conduct and hostility towards immigrants. His mother, Susan Bedard, expressed concern about his access to weapons. "He is dangerous and should not have weapons," she told the newspaper. "Believe his victims, not him." His sister said she first discovered that Brouillette worked for ICE after recognizing him in a photograph published following the fatal shooting.

The New York Times investigation also raised concerns about the circumstances surrounding Brouillette's recruitment and training. According to people familiar with his hiring, ICE had accelerated recruitment as the Trump administration sought to expand its deportation operations. The agency reportedly allowed him to enter the field with a firearm before his background check had been reviewed. He also allegedly did not complete ICE's full training programme. The allegations have prompted criticism from Democratic lawmakers, who are demanding answers about the agency's hiring standards and supervision of officers. The Department of Homeland Security has rejected claims that ICE's recruitment and training procedures were inadequate. "Incoming ICE officers, many already with years of law enforcement experience, are onboarded in accordance with applicable policies and standards. Any claims of substandard training or vetting are FALSE," a DHS spokesperson said.