An Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agent opened fire after being struck by a fleeing vehicle during an attempted arrest in southern New Jersey on Monday, authorities said, as federal agents continued searching for the driver.
The incident occurred around 9:30 a.m. on Route 72 in the Manahawkin section of Stafford Township, according to local police and federal officials.
Stafford Township police said a federal immigration agent was hit by a vehicle while attempting to apprehend an individual and discharged his weapon as the vehicle fled the scene. The agency said the gunfire may have struck the vehicle but added there was no indication of an ongoing threat to public safety.
According to NBC 4 New York, ICE identified the suspect as Friedrich Castillo-Ormeno, a Peruvian national who had been ordered removed from the United States by an immigration judge on Jan. 30, 2026. ICE said agents were conducting a targeted vehicle stop when the driver "weaponized his vehicle and struck an officer resulting in the officer discharging his weapon."
The driver fled and remained at large as of Tuesday.
Witness Payton Johnson told local media that agents approached a van and instructed the driver to lower his window. "You can tell it's getting tense," Johnson said, adding that the driver suddenly accelerated, pinning the lower half of the officer's body against another vehicle before speeding away.
Surveillance video obtained by NBC10 Philadelphia appeared to show multiple vehicles surrounding a white van before the driver forced his way through, striking an agent in the process.
ICE said the injured officer was transported to a local hospital and is expected to recover. The agency also claimed its officers are facing a "3,300% increase in vehicle attacks."
The FBI has taken over the investigation, while the Ocean County Prosecutor's Office initially opened a preliminary inquiry. Stafford Township police said they were not involved in the immigration operation itself and responded to manage traffic, secure the scene and assist the injured agent.
The incident also renewed debate over New Jersey's Immigrant Trust Directive, which generally limits local law enforcement participation in civil immigration enforcement. According to New Jersey 101.5, critics argued local police should have done more to assist federal agents, while police union president Peter Andreyev defended the department's response.
"These guys did a remarkable job under certainly a confusing and chaotic situation," Andreyev said, adding that officers "followed the law" and "their training."
