He was 26 years old and had received a social security number. He lived in Biddeford, Maine, United States. He was born and raised in Colombia. He had —in addition to being 26 years old, it bears repeating— a daughter.
His name remains Johan Sebastián —like that of the composer— Durán Guerrero, and Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) says he entered the country illegally in 2023. They also say that having a work permit is not synonymous with legal status.
The media reports that details are missing, such as whether or not he was ordered to stop or the distance from which he was shot. The agents were not wearing body cameras, and Johan can no longer give his version of events. Barely, almost without realizing it, he will be able to return to Colombia in a box, a sinister handicap, a destiny set in stone, ensuring his extradition, life or death.
At 8:00 a.m. on Monday, July 13th, the local news outlet News Center Maine confirmed that a human being had been killed.
THE WATERS
As if trying to calm the waters, several officials in the current presidential administration called for a temporary halt to ICE roadside checks. As if he owns the seas and rivers, the president of the country has said absolutely not, that everything must continue.
"The men and women of ICE are doing a great job, one that needs to be done," he affirmed.
"We are always evaluating our procedures to keep our officers safe and criminals off our streets. We will not disclose or discuss law enforcement tactics," ICE stated.
For his part, the president of Colombia, Gustavo Petro, stated that what happened was the murder of a Colombian, a Latin American, at the hands of the United States government.
"They killed him because they believed he was an inferior being without rights, and as a person, he had all the rights conferred upon a human being simply by virtue of being born, and he was a citizen with rights in the United States." I expect the Colombian Foreign Service in the United States to take the swiftest legal and humane action to ensure the murderers are held accountable for their crime. I expect President Donald Trump to send a message to Colombia regarding what happened.
"Johan Sebastián Durán, may he rest in peace, a victim of the state, due to the persecution and exclusion of a civilian population group for ethnic and cultural reasons, prohibited since the Nuremberg Trials worldwide."
In a note published Wednesday, The Washington Post pointed out that the current administration is caught between fulfilling a campaign promise and the deadly consequences of its enforcement operations.
PROTESTS
On Monday and Tuesday, several times a day, hundreds of protesters gathered near federal immigration buildings in the state. Signs and chants demanded that ICE be defunded and eradicated from Maine.
According to reports from News Center Maine, many people were bewildered: "Why? What’s the justification? When will there be justice? I can’t understand how this is happening in Maine. I’m angry. This has to stop," one citizen said.
For others, the outlet confirmed, it wasn't exactly news: "It doesn't feel good to be part of a country where you're not surprised when these things happen."
During one of the protests against ICE, a counter-protester appeared. According to the online newspaper, he was carrying a megaphone and a gun.
CALLS FOR RESPECT IN THE FACE OF THE MURDER
Democratic Congressman Jared Golden stated that what "we need now" is a thorough and independent investigation to establish the facts necessary for accountability.
The chairman of the Maine Republican Party, Jim Deyermond, also weighed in with statements: "We will avoid politicizing this event by remaining calm and trusting that those investigating will be thorough and fair in the face of the chaos."
"Law enforcement across the country continues to deserve our respect and support, as they risk their lives every day for Americans," he said, offering thoughts and prayers for the bereaved.
Likewise, Republican State Senator Susan Collins spoke, stating that eliminating ice would make our country less safe and would endanger the lives and well-being of countless people.
According to reports, there were signs on the street crying: Ice pulled the trigger, but Susan Collins gave him the gun.
Johan Sebastián is still dead and U.S is entering the campaign.
AN ICE "ERROR"
"On July 13th, 2026, at approximately 7:00 a.m., ICE was conducting targeted surveillance at the last known address of an illegal alien with a final order of removal. An illegal alien left the residence in a vehicle. ICE police attempted to make a stop. The vehicle attempted to flee the scene and, fearing for public safety, an officer discharged his weapon," ICE said in one of its first versions.
The 26-year-old man who was killed was not the intended target of the operation, Department of Homeland Security Secretary Markwayne Mullin said.
JOHAN AND HIS CIRCUMSTANCES
"He was a wonderful son, and I don’t know why they did that to him, I just don’t know," his father declared.
"I love you. I have no words for this pain; my life, my love, take care of me, help me find strength; I love you, stay with me always… don’t leave me alone, I beg you, my love," his wife wrote on social media.
"I’m scared because they didn’t ask if he had legal status; they just killed him. What happened to Sebastián could happen to any of us," Yasmín, a friend and fellow immigrant, told the local newspaper, the Portland Press Herald.
Like Johan, she and her mother deliver food for the Spark Driver platform. On Tuesday, they didn’t dare go out.
According to witnesses interviewed by the Portland Press Herald, the slain man's partner and daughter witnessed the aftermath of the shooting; neighbors immediately heard the family's screams echoing through the street. The three-year-old girl was in her pajamas.
They say, "It's quiet here; there are no gangs or violence. And now this has
