Ecuador Accuses ICE Agents of Breaching 'Inviolable' Premises in Attempt to Enter Consulate in Minneapolis

Ecuador said it immediately delivered a formal letter of protest to the U.S. embassy in Quito.

Under the 1963 Vienna Convention on Consular Relations, consular premises are considered "inviolable," and authorities of the host country "shall not enter" areas used for official work without the consent of the head of the consular post, except in narrowly defined emergencies such as fires or disasters. Ecuador said no such consent was given.

Video shared by Ecuadorian media, which has not been independently verified, shows a consular official telling an ICE agent, "This is the consulate, you're not allowed in here," as BBC reported. The agent responds, "If you touch me, I will grab you," before the official closes the door and reiterates that the building is a foreign government office.

The incident represents an unusual moment of friction between Ecuador and the United States at a time when bilateral relations have otherwise been close. President Daniel Noboa has aligned his government with Washington on security and economic issues, recently agreeing with the Trump administration to strengthen commercial ties and praising the U.S. decision to designate two Ecuadorian criminal gangs as foreign terrorist organizations.

The episode occurred amid heightened tensions in Minneapolis following federal immigration operations and the fatal shootings of two U.S. citizens, Renee Good and Alex Pretti, during protests. The unrest has prompted nationwide debate over the conduct of federal agents and the limits of enforcement tactics.

On Tuesday, President Donald Trump said his administration would "de-escalate a little bit" its operations in Minnesota after the shootings, calling both incidents "terrible."