A US immigration officer has fatally shot a 37-year-old woman in Minneapolis, igniting a fierce debate as local leaders dismissed the Trump administration’s version claiming it was self-defense.

The Department of Homeland Security labeled the woman, Renee Nicole Good, a “violent rioter” who allegedly attempted to run down Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents.

However, Mayor Jacob Frey of Minneapolis stated, “This was an agent recklessly exercising power that led to someone’s death”, urging ICE officials in foul-mouthed remarks to exit the city.

Hundreds of ICE personnel have been sent to the city as part of a nationwide initiative by the White House aimed at combating illegal immigration.

Footage shared on social media by witnesses reportedly depicts the moment of the shooting, which took place around 10:25 am local time on Wednesday.

From different angles, a maroon SUV is seen obstructing a residential street in Minneapolis.

A group of individuals, seemingly protesting, fills the sidewalk.

Police vehicles are apparent nearby. Immigration agents arrive at the parked vehicle, exit their truck, and instruct the woman inside to step out of the SUV. One agent pulls at the driver’s door handle.

Another agent stands by the front of the car.

It’s unclear precisely how near the agent was or if he was hit by the vehicle based on the clips reviewed by the BBC right after the incident.

That agent fires as the maroon SUV tries to escape.

Three gunshots are audible, and the SUV is seen veering off and colliding with a nearby parked car.

In a post on Truth Social, Trump stated that an ICE officer was “viciously” struck. “It’s hard to believe he survived, but he’s now recovering in the hospital,” he mentioned.

The Republican president further accused the “Radical Left” of “threatening, assaulting, and targeting our Law Enforcement Officers and ICE Agents persistently”.

Brian O’Hara, the police chief of Minneapolis, remarked that the driver was in her vehicle, obstructing the roadway on Portland Avenue. She was then approached on foot by a federal law enforcement representative, “and she began to drive off”.

Kristi Noem, US Homeland Security Secretary, claimed the woman was “stalking and obstructing” officers throughout the day and attempted to “use her vehicle as a weapon” in an act of “domestic terrorism” against the officer.

Noem indicated that the federal agent discharged “defensive shots” and was injured himself, before receiving treatment and being released from a local hospital.

However, the Minneapolis City Council asserted in a statement that Good was merely “looking after her neighbors” when she was shot and killed.

The same agent had also been struck by a vehicle in the line of duty in June, Noem added.

She stated that ICE operations in the city would proceed, and the FBI would investigate the incident from Wednesday.

Emily Heller recounted to CNN that she was at home when she observed ICE agents clashing with protesters outside. She mentioned hearing agents yelling at a woman in an SUV, then an agent attempted to open her car door, after which the driver reversed and attempted to leave.

“An ICE officer stepped directly in front of her car and shouted, ‘Stop!’ and then – she was already moving – and then, point-blank, shot her through her windshield in the face,” Heller stated to the US network.

Minnesota State Governor Tim Walz also pushed back against federal narratives regarding the incident.

“Don’t trust this propaganda machine,” Walz commented in response to a Department of Homeland Security statement about the shooting.

“The state will guarantee a thorough, fair, and speedy investigation to ensure accountability and justice.”

Prominent Democrats, including former Vice-President Kamala Harris and House minority leader Hakeem Jeffries, also issued statements. Harris labeled the Trump administration’s rendition of events as “gaslighting”.

Demonstrations and marches transpired across various parts of the city as some angry Minneapolis residents denounced the shooting and demanded ICE’s exit.

The primary gathering occurred near the shooting site, situated about a mile from where George Floyd was murdered in 2020 by a city police officer, which sparked global anti-racism protests.

Protests were also being planned in other US cities, including New Orleans, Miami, Seattle, and New York City.

Minneapolis Public Schools declared that classes were canceled for the remainder of the week, “due to safety concerns”. This follows reports of federal agents making arrests outside a high school on Wednesday.

In recent weeks, the Trump administration has assigned an additional 2,000 federal agents to the Minneapolis region in reaction to claims of welfare fraud in the state.

During the press conference on Wednesday, the mayor stated that ICE was not enhancing the safety of the city. “They’re disrupting families, they’re fostering disorder in our streets,” he expressed.

This deployment, which commenced on Sunday, marks one of the largest concentrations of Department of Homeland Security staff in a US city in recent times.

It follows an immigration enforcement initiative initiated by ICE late last year targeting individuals in Minneapolis who had been issued deportation orders, including those from the Somali community.

That community has often faced criticism from Trump, who has referred to them as “garbage”.

“I don’t want them in our nation. I’ll be candid with you,” the president stated. “Their nation has problems for a reason. Their country is terrible.”

Trump subsequently reaffirmed his comments following a YouTube video by a conservative online creator accusing daycare facilities run by Somali immigrants of widespread fraud.

In retaliation, Trump withheld federal childcare funding from Minnesota.

The Trump administration has dispatched ICE agents to various other cities across the US, where they have executed thousands of arrests as part of what the administration describes as a crackdown on crime and unauthorized immigrants.

The United States has reported that it has taken possession of two tankers connected to oil exports from Venezuela in consecutive operations in the North Atlantic and Caribbean regions.

US forces intercepted the Russian-flagged Marinera after pursuing it for nearly two weeks while it traversed the seas between Iceland and Scotland. The Royal Navy of the UK provided logistical assistance by air and sea.

Additionally, the US accused a second tanker, the M/T Sophia, of engaging in “illicit activities” and boarded it in the Caribbean.

These actions coincide with the US’s efforts to restrict most Venezuelan crude oil exports and shortly follow the seizure of Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro by special forces during a rapid operation at his residence in Caracas.

Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth stated on X: “The blockade of sanctioned and illegal Venezuelan oil remains in FULL FORCE – anywhere globally.”

Moscow has condemned the capture of the tanker under its flag, demanding the US to treat the Russians aboard appropriately and allow for their swift return to Russia.

The transport ministry declared it had granted the vessel “temporary authorization” to fly the Russian flag, asserting that no nation has the right to exert force against vessels duly registered under other countries’ jurisdictions.

Reports indicated that Russia sent a submarine to protect the vessel; however, it seems US forces boarded the tanker without encountering resistance.

The White House labeled the ship a “Venezuelan shadow fleet vessel considered stateless after displaying a false flag and had a judicial order” against it.

According to US Secretary of State Marco Rubio, Venezuela’s leadership is cooperating with the US regarding the second tanker seized in the Caribbean.

“They realize that the sole option to transport oil and generate income while avoiding economic collapse is to collaborate and partner with the United States,” he informed reporters.

Previously, US President Donald Trump noted that Venezuela – home to the largest proven oil reserves globally – “will be turning over” as much as 50 million barrels of oil valued at approximately $2.8 billion (£2.1 billion) to the US.

Rubio, who briefed US legislators on the ongoing operations in Venezuela on Wednesday, stated that the US would sell oil located in Venezuela “in the market at prevailing rates” and that the US would oversee how the profits are distributed “in a manner that benefits the Venezuelan populace”.

He indicated that the US has a well-conceived strategy for Venezuela’s future, asserting that the administration was “not just improvising”.

Rubio remarked that the Trump administration’s strategy in Venezuela involves stabilization, recovery, and eventual transition.

However, the discussions surrounding oil were only one aspect of the concerns US lawmakers possessed regarding the escalating crisis.

Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer emphasized the necessity for answers to lingering inquiries about the number of US troops that might be involved and the financial implications of US engagement in Venezuela.

Republicans generally appeared to support the administration’s actions in the area, although some expressed worries regarding the level of influence Congress holds.

The Senate is anticipated to vote next week on a bipartisan war powers resolution – an effort to restrict ongoing military operations in Venezuela. A war powers resolution – established following the Vietnam War – constrains a president’s authority to deploy US armed forces in hostilities without congressional consent.

“If we are going to pursue continued involvement in the forthcoming phase, I believe it must be subject to [war powers],” said North Carolina’s Thom Tillis.

Meanwhile, Missouri’s Josh Hawley remarked that if the administration’s actions amount to a law enforcement operation, then it does not necessitate congressional approval, but “if it’s a military campaign involving a foreign head of state, even one we do not officially recognize, that represents a significantly different scenario”.

China – the leading consumer of Venezuelan oil in recent times – has criticized the US actions, accusing it of endangering global energy security.

The US military announced the seizure of the two tankers in distinct social media posts on Wednesday.

The US European Command stated that the M/V Bella 1 – using the previous name of the Marinera – was boarded “for breaching US sanctions”.

“The vessel was seized in the North Atlantic under a warrant issued by a US federal court following its tracking by USCGC Munro,” a cutter from the Coast Guard.

The Ministry of Defence of Britain noted that RAF surveillance aircraft and a naval support ship, the RFA Tideforce, were among the UK military assets involved in the operation at the request of the US for assistance.

Defence Secretary John Healey stated that the operation was “in complete adherence to international law” and “part of global initiatives to combat sanctions-violating activities”.

The vessel has been accused of violating US sanctions and transporting Iranian oil.

Images released by the Russian state media RT display a helicopter hovering near a ship identified as the M/V Bella 1.

The Russian Maritime Register of Shipping indicates that the tanker had renamed to Marinera and was sailing under the Russian flag with its home port designated as the southern Russian city of Sochi on the Black Sea.

The Russian transport ministry reported that US forces boarded the Marinera around 15:00 Moscow time (1200 GMT), after which communication with the vessel was lost.

US officials mentioned that the Marinera was fraudulently flying the Guyanese flag last month, rendering it stateless.

Experts informed BBC Verify that the US referred to the ship as Bella 1 since a vessel cannot alter its flag during a voyage unless there was an actual transfer of ownership or change of registry.

Additionally, experts indicated that under UN international maritime regulations, a stateless vessel may be boarded by authorities.

In a separate announcement, the US Southern Command declared on Wednesday that the defense and homeland security departments “captured a stateless, sanctioned dark fleet motor tanker without incident”.

“The confiscated vessel, M/T Sophia, was operating in international waters and engaging in illegal activities in the Caribbean Sea. The US Coast Guard is escorting M/T Sophia to the US for final processing.”

The US Southern Command also shared a video depicting a helicopter circling over a vessel.

Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem stated that “in two early morning operations today, the Coast Guard executed back-to-back, meticulously coordinated boarding of two ‘ghost fleet’ tanker vessels”.

She noted that both captured ships “were either most recently docked in Venezuela or heading towards it”.