Federal Agents Pursue Honduran National in High-Speed St. Paul Crash Amid Escalating ‘Metro Surge’ Tensions
A high-speed pursuit involving U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents ended in a multi-vehicle crash on Wednesday morning in St. Paul, Minnesota, intensifying the debate over the ongoing federal enforcement campaign known as “Operation Metro Surge.” The incident occurred at the busy intersection of Selby and Western Avenues around 9:40 a.m., resulting in injuries to the fleeing driver and significant damage to bystander vehicles.
Incident Details and Federal Account
According to the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), ICE officers were attempting a “targeted vehicle stop” of Alexander Romero-Avila, a Honduran national. DHS Assistant Secretary Tricia McLaughlin stated that Romero-Avila had been released into the U.S. in 2022 under the Biden administration. Authorities report that upon the attempted stop, the suspect evaded officers, driving recklessly and running red lights before colliding with several cars, including an ICE vehicle.
“In a dangerous attempt to resist arrest, this [individual] tried to evade law enforcement and began driving recklessly,” McLaughlin said in a statement. DHS confirmed that while bystander vehicles were struck, no members of the public or federal agents sustained serious injuries. Romero-Avila was transported to Regents Hospital with non-life-threatening injuries.
Local Objections and Community Response
The crash has drawn sharp criticism from local officials who argue that federal tactics are endangering public safety. St. Paul Mayor Kaohly Her issued a strong rebuke of the operation, describing the agency’s presence as “reckless” and “causing chaos.”
“This is just another incident that tells us loud and clear: Operation Metro Surge needs to end immediately,” Mayor Her stated, noting that the pursuit put residents at risk in a dense commercial and residential neighborhood.
Witnesses at the scene described a chaotic aftermath, with a crowd gathering to protest the federal presence. Bystanders reported seeing the suspect’s vehicle traveling at high speeds before the collision. Tensions were visible as residents blew whistles—a tactic increasingly used by locals to alert neighbors to ICE presence—and verbally confronted agents at the scene.
Background: Operation Metro Surge
This event is the latest flashpoint in “Operation Metro Surge,” a large-scale federal immigration crackdown in the Twin Cities area that began in late 2025. The operation has been marked by high friction between federal agents and the local community. The crash follows two fatal incidents earlier this year involving federal agents in Minnesota, including the shootings of Renee Good and Alex Pretti, which have sparked sustained protests and calls from Minnesota Governor Tim Walz for the operation to wind down.
While federal officials maintain that the surge is necessary to apprehend individuals with criminal records or outstanding removal orders, advocacy groups and local leaders contend that the aggressive tactics—such as high-speed chases in urban areas—pose a disproportionate threat to community safety compared to the enforcement objectives. DHS officials, however, cited a sharp increase in “vehicle attacks” against officers as justification for their intensified measures.
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