New allegations surrounding the fatal shooting of a Colombian immigrant by an Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agent have intensified scrutiny of the incident after the agent's former wife said he asked her to lie about his character, while witness video and accounts from family members continue to raise questions about the government's initial description of the encounter.
The claims emerged after the death of 26-year-old Joan Sebastian Guerrero, who was shot Monday during an ICE operation in Biddeford, Maine. Guerrero, a married father of a young daughter, was driving to work when federal officers confronted him. The shooting has since become the subject of public debate following the release of witness video showing agents removing Guerrero from his vehicle and placing handcuffs on his body after he had been shot.
Ashley Brouillette, the former wife of ICE agent David Brouillette, told the Portland Press Herald that her ex-husband contacted her after the shooting and acknowledged that he had fired the fatal shots.
"He was asking me to lie for him and to cover for his character," Ashley Brouillette told the newspaper. "I told him that I was not going to lie for him."
According to Ashley Brouillette, the agent defended his actions during the conversation by claiming Guerrero had attempted to strike him with his vehicle. ICE has similarly stated that Guerrero "weaponised" his car during the encounter.
However, video recorded by witnesses has prompted additional scrutiny of that account. The footage appears to show agents walking alongside Guerrero's slowly moving vehicle before the shooting. The publicly available video does not, by itself, conclusively establish every aspect of the encounter or determine whether the officers faced an imminent threat, and investigations into the shooting remain ongoing.
Ashley Brouillette also described her former husband as appearing emotionally detached after the incident.
"In his head it's justified. He's unusually calm about it," she said.
She further alleged that she had previously alerted military supervisors about concerns regarding David Brouillette's mental health during their marriage. Ashley Brouillette also accused him of being abusive during their two-year relationship, which she said began when she was 18. Those allegations have not been independently adjudicated in connection with the shooting.
Following the public identification of the ICE agent, Ashley Brouillette said she and members of her family began receiving threatening phone calls. ICE has declined to confirm or deny the officer's identity publicly, citing security concerns.
An ICE spokesperson said the officer "in question has nearly a decade of federal law enforcement experience with required training."
The agency added: "Doxxing our officers puts their lives and their families in serious danger," while blaming "sanctuary politicians" and "violent agitators" for threats directed at personnel.
Separate reporting by the Associated Press, citing relatives of David Brouillette, described a history of mental health struggles. Family members said he had been diagnosed during childhood with severe bipolar disorder and attention deficit disorder and had attempted suicide twice at age 12. Those statements were attributed to relatives and have not been independently verified through medical records.
Public records reviewed by news organizations outline an employment history spanning military service and multiple civilian positions. After leaving the U.S. Army in 2015 with the rank of sergeant following deployment to Afghanistan, Brouillette worked as a corrections officer, later joined Maine's Department of Health and Human Services as an enforcement agent, drove commercial trucks and served two separate periods as a volunteer firefighter.
According to reports, his second tenure as a volunteer firefighter ended after disputes with department leadership, including allegations that he refused orders and became involved in confrontations with supervisors.
The Biddeford shooting has also affected federal immigration enforcement operations beyond Maine. Following the incident, ICE temporarily paused most traffic-stop operations nationwide before President Donald Trump called for the suspension to be reversed through a Truth Social post. The administration subsequently resumed the enforcement strategy, aligning with Border Czar Tom Homan's broader push to continue immigration arrests.
