Family Alleges Warning Signs Were Missed Before Officer Was Armed

An Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) officer who fatally shot a 26-year-old Colombian man in Maine reportedly had a long history of violent behavior and serious mental illness — yet was hired, badged, and armed anyway.

Story Snapshot

ICE officer David Brouillette shot and killed Joan Sebastián Durán Guerrero on July 13, 2026, in Biddeford, Maine, during an immigration enforcement operation.
Brouillette’s ex-wife, daughter, and other close relatives say he has struggled with serious mental health issues since childhood and has a documented history of violent behavior toward women.
Brouillette called his ex-wife shortly after the shooting and admitted he fired the fatal shots, according to her account.
No body camera footage or nearby surveillance video of the shooting has surfaced, raising questions about transparency and accountability.

What Happened in Biddeford

On the morning of July 13, 2026, ICE officer David Brouillette shot and killed Joan Sebastián Durán Guerrero, a 26-year-old Colombian national, at the intersection of Pool Street and Hill Street in Biddeford, Maine. The shooting occurred during an immigration enforcement operation. Guerrero was a father, and his wife and family have since spoken publicly about their loss. Protesters rallied in Biddeford and Boston in the days that followed.

Brouillette is a former police officer and United States Army veteran who recently joined ICE. Shortly after the shooting, he called his ex-wife, Ashley Brouillette, and told her he had fired the shots that killed Guerrero, according to her account to the Portland Press Herald. Federal authorities — including ICE, the Department of Homeland Security, the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), and the Maine Attorney General’s Office — have not officially confirmed Brouillette’s identity as the shooter.

Family Paints a Troubling Picture

Three close relatives of Brouillette — including his ex-wife and daughter — told the Associated Press (AP) that he has struggled with serious mental health problems since early childhood. They say he has a history of violent behavior toward women and should never have been given a badge and a gun. A voicemail from last winter, reportedly from Brouillette, contained a threat that “someone should slit her throat,” according to family accounts.

Ashley Brouillette told the Boston Globe and the Portland Press Herald that her ex-husband was abusive during their relationship. She said his troubled background made him unfit for armed law enforcement work. The family’s statements, combined with court records cited by the AP, form the basis of serious questions about how Brouillette passed the hiring process at ICE in the first place.

A Hiring Process Under Scrutiny

ICE has been growing rapidly under the Trump administration’s push to expand immigration enforcement. Democratic members of Congress have demanded answers about how Brouillette was hired and cleared for armed duty given his reported background. The concern is straightforward: if the vetting process missed — or ignored — a documented history of mental illness and violent behavior, something is broken inside the agency.

WATCH: The lack of footage of the ICE-involved shooting in Biddeford, both from body cameras and from nearby cameras and witnesses, could have a big impact on how the investigation plays out.

STORY: https://t.co/Oh5p7kXkmw pic.twitter.com/tPtens9V75

— CBS 13 News (@WGME) July 18, 2026

This case is not an isolated incident. A review by the AP found that since 2020, at least 24 ICE employees and contractors have faced criminal charges covering a range of misconduct, including physical and sexual abuse. That pattern suggests the problem may go beyond one bad hire. Both the left and the right should be able to agree on this much: any law enforcement agency — regardless of its mission — owes the public a rigorous, honest screening process before handing someone a badge and a firearm.

No Footage, Few Answers

One detail has drawn sharp attention: there is no body camera footage of the shooting, and no footage from nearby cameras or witnesses has emerged. ICE officers are not required to wear body cameras under current federal policy. That gap makes it nearly impossible for the public — or investigators — to independently verify what happened in those final moments. For anyone who believes government agencies must be held accountable, the absence of video is a serious problem, not a minor footnote.

The Maine Attorney General’s Office is conducting a review of the shooting. Until that process is complete and its findings are made public, many core questions remain unanswered — including whether the use of force was justified and whether ICE will change how it screens new recruits. The Guerrero family, meanwhile, is left without a husband and father, waiting for answers that may be a long time coming.