Sister of ICE agent involved in fatal shooting cites allegedly racist emails

The sister of David Brouillette, the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement agent who fatally shot a Colombian man in Maine earlier this year, is shedding light on her brother’s derogatory comments about immigrants. She told MS NOW’s Peter Alexander that she believed the emails she exchanged with Brouillette were “highly relevant to investigating his actions.”

On July 13, Johan Sebastián Durán Guerrero was shot and killed in Biddeford, Maine, while agents said they were conducting an immigration enforcement operation. The Department of Homeland Security said officers were attempting to stop a vehicle after it left the residence when an officer, later identified as Brouillette, fired because he feared for public safety. According to the lawyer for Durán Guerrero’s family, the 25-year-old was not the target of the operation and was authorized to work legally in the United States.

This week, Brouillette’s sister, Elizabeth Emen, shared emails she said she exchanged with her brother five years before the shooting. In the emails, he criticized his relationship with his Colombian partner, a father of two.

In an email shared with the New York Times, Brouillette said Emen’s partner, who was legally in the United States, should “take his non-citizen ass back to his country and enjoy his third world luxuries.” Emen told the newspaper that the exchange, which the Times said was confirmed by a friend who discussed the email with her at the time and by a family representative, was a snapshot of her views on foreign-born people.

Brouillette declined to speak to the Times. In a statement, DHS said “any allegations of substandard training or oversight are FALSE” and told the Times that agents are “trained to use the minimum force necessary to resolve dangerous situations.”

Emen told Alexander on Wednesday that when she heard the news of the fatal shooting, “it seemed like a nightmare.” She said she felt “a combination of non-surprise” but also “shock and horror because of the history of his beliefs and his messages in the email.”

“When I heard about my brother’s actions on July 13, I was devastated and immediately recalled his messages in the email,” she said. “When he sent me these messages in January 2021, it was clear enough to me that it was not safe to pursue a relationship with him.”

Shortly after the shooting, others from Brouillette’s past, including two ex-wives, spoke out about alleged violent behavior and mental health issues.