U.S. Citizen Shot by ICE Agent Sues for $25 Million
A U.S. citizen who was shot by an Immigration and Customs Enforcement officer during an immigration operation in Southern California has filed a federal lawsuit seeking more than $25 million in damages. Carlos Jimenez alleges that federal agents used excessive force, improperly prosecuted him and interfered with his medical treatment after the October 2025 shooting in Ontario, California.
Jimenez filed the 54-page complaint on Nov. 6. The lawsuit names ICE officer Eusebio Ortiz, two Customs and Border Protection officers, an FBI agent, San Bernardino County and the Trump administration, along with numerous unidentified defendants.
According to Jimenez’s lawsuit, he was not the target of the immigration operation. He says he approached federal agents because he was concerned that children would soon be gathering at a nearby school bus stop. He alleges that Ortiz ordered him to leave while displaying a firearm.
Jimenez maintains that he was attempting to turn his Lexus around and leave when Ortiz opened fire. The lawsuit alleges that the officer fired several rounds through the vehicle’s rear passenger-side window, striking Jimenez in the back and shoulder.
Federal authorities have offered a substantially different account. The Department of Homeland Security previously said Jimenez’s vehicle stopped and then reversed toward officers, causing Ortiz to fear for his life. According to that account, the ICE officer fired defensive shots at the vehicle.
The shooting left Jimenez with gunshot wounds and a displaced fracture of his right shoulder blade, according to the lawsuit. It also alleges that bullet fragments remained lodged in his body near his right lung. He was initially transported to a hospital as a trauma patient.
Jimenez further alleges that FBI agents removed him from his hospital bed, restrained him and transported him back to the shooting scene for questioning while he was still injured. The lawsuit says he was subsequently taken to a detention facility where he was denied adequate medical treatment and medication.
The federal government later prosecuted Jimenez for allegedly assaulting a federal officer with his vehicle. A grand jury indicted him in November 2025 after prosecutors said he had driven his vehicle toward an officer. Jimenez’s attorneys have consistently disputed that characterization of the incident.
The criminal case took a turn after Jimenez’s lawyers sought records relating to the shooting, including communications from Ortiz and other agents. A federal judge ordered prosecutors to produce responsive communications and required Ortiz to submit a declaration under penalty of perjury if no relevant messages existed.
Jimenez subsequently entered a diversion agreement, completed its conditions and had the criminal case dismissed with prejudice on Nov. 2. The dismissal means the charge cannot simply be refiled, although the court’s action did not establish that the federal agents acted unlawfully or that Jimenez’s allegations were true.
The civil lawsuit goes considerably further, alleging excessive force, false arrest, malicious prosecution, denial of medical care and other violations. Jimenez is seeking $25 million in noneconomic damages plus nearly $179,000 for medical expenses, lost wages, property damage and other claimed losses.
Jimenez’s lawsuit also accuses an FBI agent of fabricating statements attributed to two witnesses. According to the complaint, the witnesses later told a defense investigator that they had not provided some of the observations attributed to them in FBI interview reports and did not actually witness the shooting. These are allegations in the civil complaint and have not been established by a court.
The case comes amid broader scrutiny of federal immigration enforcement and allegations concerning the use of force by ICE and other federal agents. It also follows other incidents in which government accounts of encounters involving vehicles and immigration officers have faced questions after additional video or witness evidence emerged.
The lawsuit now shifts the dispute from the criminal case to a civil proceeding in which Jimenez is seeking financial compensation and accountability for what he says was an unjustified shooting and prosecution. Federal authorities have not conceded wrongdoing, and the allegations will have to be tested through the civil litigation process.
Key Legal Outcome
- U.S. citizen Carlos Jimenez filed a $25 million-plus lawsuit against federal agents and other defendants.
- The lawsuit alleges excessive force, false arrest, malicious prosecution and inadequate medical care.
- Jimenez’s federal criminal charge was dismissed with prejudice after he completed a diversion agreement.
- A federal judge had ordered prosecutors to produce communications and other records related to the shooting.
- The civil lawsuit does not establish liability; Jimenez’s allegations remain subject to litigation.
Why It Matters
- The case puts renewed scrutiny on the use of force by ICE officers during immigration operations.
- The conflicting accounts of whether Jimenez’s vehicle threatened agents could become central to the civil case.
- The dismissal of the criminal prosecution removes a major legal threat to Jimenez while allowing his civil claims to proceed.
- Allegations that investigators misrepresented witness statements could raise broader questions about evidence used in federal immigration prosecutions.
- The lawsuit could become an important test of federal accountability and constitutional protections during immigration enforcement.
