MINNEAPOLIS — State and federal investigators are examining allegations that immigration agents brutally assaulted a Mexican national during a January arrest, leaving him with eight fractured skull bones that required intensive care treatment at a Minneapolis medical facility.
Last week, FBI agents and St. Paul Police Department investigators combed through a shopping center parking lot where Alberto Castañeda Mondragón claims Immigration and Customs Enforcement officers dragged him from a car, slammed him onto the pavement, and repeatedly bludgeoned his head with a metal baton.
Immigration officials have placed responsibility for the injuries on Castañeda Mondragón himself, claiming he tried to escape while restrained and “fell and hit his head against a concrete wall.”
However, medical personnel who provided care to the victim informed The Associated Press that such a fall would not reasonably explain the patient’s brain bleeding and memory loss. Medical imaging revealed fractures across the front, rear, and sides of his skull — damage that a physician described to the AP as incompatible with a simple fall.
In a recent AP interview, Castañeda Mondragón described the arresting officers as “racist” and said they “started beating me right away when they arrested me.” His legal representatives argue that ICE agents targeted him based on racial bias.
During distinct visits to the shopping center last week, both local and federal investigators sought security camera recordings from multiple businesses. However, store employees informed the AP that their surveillance systems either failed to record the January 8th incident or had automatically deleted the footage after more than 30 days elapsed before authorities requested it.
Johnny Ratana, owner of Teepwo Market, an Asian grocery store overlooking the parking area where the detention took place, reported that St. Paul police investigators visited his establishment twice recently. During the second visit, he explained, a technical specialist attempted to retrieve footage that had been automatically erased after the standard 30-day period.
Ratana also confirmed that FBI representatives had contacted him seeking the same video evidence.
Neither the St. Paul Police Department nor the FBI provided responses to requests for statements.
These investigations unfold alongside another federal inquiry examining whether two ICE agents committed perjury regarding a Minneapolis shooting incident. Federal prosecutors dismissed charges against two Venezuelan individuals — previously accused of assaulting an officer with a snow shovel and broom handle — after video evidence undermined the officers’ sworn statements.
Additionally, the FBI informed Minnesota officials last week that it would withhold all information and evidence gathered regarding the January 24th fatal shooting of Alex Pretti by federal immigration agents. That incident remains under Justice Department civil rights review.
The U.S. Department of Homeland Security declined for weeks to address any details concerning Castañeda Mondragón’s injuries and has ignored comprehensive questions from the AP, including whether officers captured body camera video during the arrest.
The agency reaffirmed its position last week that Castañeda Mondragón caused his own harm.
“On January 8, 2026, ICE conducted a targeted enforcement operation to arrest Alberto Castaneda Mondragon, a 31-year-old illegal alien from Mexico who overstayed his visa,” stated Tricia McLaughlin, the department’s assistant secretary for public affairs. “While in handcuffs, Castaneda attempted to escape custody and ran toward a main highway. While running, Castaneda fell and hit his head against a concrete wall.”
McLaughlin’s statement claiming Castañeda Mondragón was specifically targeted for deportation conflicts with a January 20th court document where ICE indicated officers only discovered the man had exceeded his work visa terms after taking him into custody. McLaughlin did not address questions about which version was accurate.
Legal counsel for Castañeda Mondragón refused to comment on ICE’s official statement.
The criminal investigations may face challenges due to the delayed law enforcement response, despite calls for answers from multiple elected officials.
St. Paul police informed the AP on February 5th that while they recognized “the serious allegations” surrounding the arrest, they could not initiate an investigation into Castañeda Mondragón’s injuries until he submitted an official police report — a process delayed for weeks due to his hospitalization and unclear immigration circumstances. Officers finally recorded his statement one week ago at the Mexican consulate.
By then, at least one neighboring business had already erased its surveillance recordings.
“It is my expectation that we will investigate past and future allegations of criminal conduct by federal agents to seek the truth and hold accountable anyone who has violated Minnesota law,” declared John Choi, Ramsey County’s chief prosecutor, in an official statement.
Castañeda Mondragón has been ordered to appear at ICE’s primary Minneapolis detention center on February 23rd, creating the possibility he could be detained again and removed from the country.
