The U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agency is conducting a review of its vetting procedures following a fatal shooting involving one of its officers in Biddeford, Maine, on July 13. The incident resulted in the death of 25-year-old Colombian immigrant Johan Sebastián Durán Guerrero. A senior White House official confirmed the review amid allegations that the officer involved may have had a history of violent behavior.

Ashley Brouillette, the ex-spouse of the ICE officer in question, David Brouillette, told reporters that he admitted in a phone call to being the officer who fatally shot Durán. She further alleged that David Brouillette exhibited a pattern of violent outbursts, including an incident where he threw boiling water on her while she was holding their young daughter. Brouillette also claimed he had several mental health diagnoses from early adulthood, though these details have not been independently verified.

Tom Homan, the White House border czar, stated that the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) is investigating whether the agency’s hiring and vetting process failed in this case. “When they hire somebody, they put them through a vetting process and look at all that stuff,” Homan said. He added that an internal administrative investigation is ongoing to determine whether relevant information about the officer’s background was overlooked or unavailable.

The DHS has not officially named the officer involved in the shooting. Video footage from the scene does not capture the actual shooting but shows two officers shortly afterward. Ashley Brouillette identified David Brouillette as one of those officers. Another of Brouillette’s former spouses, Lucinda Brouillette, has also described in court filings a history of physical and mental abuse during their marriage. According to filings, David Brouillette was medically discharged from the military in 2015 with post-traumatic stress disorder, though these claims have not been independently confirmed.

Court records indicate that David Brouillette made unsubstantiated claims last year regarding his financial struggles and revoked driver’s license during a child support hearing. A judge ruled that he was “voluntarily underemployed” and denied his request to end child support payments.

David Brouillette was hired by ICE in November 2025, amid a federal push to rapidly expand the agency’s workforce. Some former DHS officials have questioned whether the accelerated hiring process compromised proper background checks.

ICE maintained that its officers were surveilling a location connected to an individual with a final order of removal when Durán, who possessed a work permit issued under the prior administration, left the premises. According to ICE, Durán attempted to evade the officers during a vehicle stop, prompting an officer to discharge a weapon out of concern for public safety.

Following the shooting, Maine Attorney General Aaron Frey announced that the officer involved would be placed on administrative leave. U.S. Senator Angus King (I-Maine) noted in a press conference that none of the officers at the scene were wearing body cameras. A spokesperson for King stated that Homeland Security Secretary Markwayne Mullin had informed the senator that Durán was not the intended target of the ICE operation.

The incident has sparked widespread protests in Maine, intensifying scrutiny over immigration enforcement practices and officer accountability. ICE has indicated that additional training measures are being implemented for its agents as part of the ongoing response to the incident.