A 28-year-old Dominican man who was shot in the neck by an Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) officer in New York City on Thursday had “weaponized his vehicle” against agents before the shooting, government officials said.
Marcos Charles, a senior ICE official, said at a news conference on Friday that agents approached Oscar Belgal in the Bronx’s Marble Hill neighborhood, where he allegedly accelerated his Honda toward them and hit two government vehicles.
“He accelerated his vehicle, smashing into two of our government ICE vehicles, and then weaponized his vehicle and proceeded to accelerate going toward other officers,” Charles said while defending the use of deadly force.
Charles said the ICE officers believed they and members of the public were in danger, prompting them to “use their training” and open fire.
Belgal was in the car with his five-year-old son when the shooting occurred. He survived a gunshot wound to the neck and received hospital treatment before being transferred to an ICE facility in another state, according to the Department of Homeland Security (DHS).
No video of the incident, including footage from officers’ body cameras, has been released publicly.
US Secretary of Homeland Security Markwayne Mullin said at Friday’s press conference that Belgal had previously “fled” from law enforcement in September.
Mullin said the government regards Belgal’s son as a “collateral criminal” because Belgal was allegedly in the country illegally while traveling with the child. The five-year-old was not injured and is now staying with relatives.
A 28-year-old Dominican man shot by an Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) officer in New York City on Thursday allegedly “weaponized his vehicle” before the shooting, according to the White House. Oscar Belgal is pictured sitting on the ground afterward.
Belgal was traveling with his five-year-old son when the shooting took place. He survived a bullet wound to the neck, was treated at a hospital and later taken to an ICE facility in another state, according to the Department of Homeland Security (DHS).
The DHS previously described Belgal as a “criminal illegal alien” in detention and said he had a grand larceny conviction. He was sentenced to five years of probation in April 2025 after a history of other arrests.
Mullin said Friday that Belgal was wanted by law enforcement and “knew his day was coming.”
“He fled once before in September. He knew he was wanted. He knows officers aren’t going to give up on him,” Mullin said. “This individual is a threat to our community.”
Mullin also said ICE agents did not know a child was inside the vehicle when they fired their weapons.
“As a father of six, I would never endanger my kids,” Mullin said. “I would die to protect my family. We weren’t aware that a child was in the car, I can tell you that.”
“But you know who was? Oscar. Oscar knew he had a child in the car, and he chose to accelerate at high speed, ram two vehicles and, it appears, head toward officers.”
“So the public outcry should also be directed toward this criminal … The outrage should be with him for endangering this five-year-old. The focus on what took place is absurd.”
US Secretary of Homeland Security Markwayne Mullin said Friday that Oscar Belgal, who survived the ICE shooting, was “a threat to our community” and had previously “fled” law enforcement in September.
New York Mayor Zohran Mamdani called the shooting an “outrage” and said Thursday evening: “There is no justification for what we have seen today.”
Mamdani said he had unsuccessfully attempted to secure Belgal’s release during phone calls with President Donald Trump and Mullin.
‘These actions are making the city less safe,’ Mamdani said. ‘We want ICE out of our city, ICE out of our schools, ICE out of our hospitals, ICE out of our streets, ICE away from our kids.’
Mamdani added that federal officers who surrounded the vehicle wore construction vests and masks, making it difficult to identify them as immigration officers.
Mullin hit back on Friday by criticizing New York’s ‘sanctuary’ policies, which restrict how much city agencies and police cooperate with immigration authorities, for allowing Belgal to be out on the streets instead of turning him over to federal agents.
This is a breaking news story with updates to follow.