Minneapolis Crowd Attempts to Block ICE Arrest of Suspect Charged with Trafficking 57 Lbs of Meth
MINNEAPOLIS — A chaotic scene unfolded at the Hennepin County Government Center on Tuesday as a group of demonstrators and bystanders attempted to intervene during the arrest of Junior de Jesus Herrera Berrios by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents.
Video footage from the incident shows federal agents in plainclothes tackling the 18-year-old suspect in the lobby of the courthouse. As agents pinned Herrera against a fountain and prepared to escort him out, a crowd of approximately two dozen individuals—described in reports as observers and activists—swarmed the officers. The group blew whistles, screamed at the agents, and attempted to block the exit path, creating a volatile standoff as federal officers moved the detainee to a waiting vehicle.
Background on the Suspect
Herrera Berrios was present at the government center for a scheduled court appearance related to significant narcotics charges. According to criminal complaints, he was arrested in January after Minnesota State Patrol troopers discovered 57 pounds of methamphetamine in the trunk of a vehicle he was driving.
Despite the severity of the charges, which include first-degree drug possession, Herrera had been released back into the community on a $50,000 bond pending his trial. The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) has identified Herrera as a “criminal illegal alien” and stated that he would remain in federal custody following this latest arrest, citing the public safety risk posed by his alleged involvement in large-scale drug trafficking.
Local Tensions and Objections
The intervention by the crowd highlights the deepening divide between federal immigration enforcement and local Minneapolis policies. Bystanders and local activists argued that the agents’ actions violated the sanctity of the courthouse, claiming that conducting arrests in such locations discourages non-citizens from attending hearings or seeking justice.
Hennepin County Attorney Mary Moriarty criticized the operation, stating that the federal intervention undercut her office’s ability to prosecute the state drug charges. However, federal officials countered that local sanctuary policies, which often limit cooperation with ICE detainers, necessitate such arrests to ensure that suspects with serious criminal records are not left at large.
While the protesters focused on the nature of the immigration enforcement, law enforcement sources emphasized that the operation targeted a specific individual linked to a massive quantity of lethal narcotics, rather than a random sweep. Herrera was successfully transported from the scene despite the obstruction attempts.
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