An Immigration and Customs Enforcement agent is recovering after being struck by a van in Stafford Township, New Jersey, police said.
The incident occurred Monday at 9:30 morning along Route 72 near Mermaid Drive in Stafford Township’s Manahawkin community.
According to an ICE spokesperson, agents were trying to arrest Friedrich Castillo-Ormeno, of Peru, who had been ordered to leave the country by Jan. 30, 2026.
Castillo-Ormeno was fleeing the scene in a vehicle, described by law enforcement sources as a van, officials said. An agent who was struck by the vehicle pulled out his weapon and opened fire.
Sources said bullets struck the van and possibly blew out the vehicle’s back window.
“They tell him to roll down his window, he’s inching forward and you can tell it’s getting tense by his inching forward. As soon as he gunned it, you just see the the front of the van, pin the lower half of the officer’s body into the officer’s car,” Stafford Township resident Payton Johnson told NBC10. “You just see the guy’s body just get twisted and mangled and in that twist, you know, he then pulled out his gun and shot at the van.”
Officials have not released the condition of the officer but sources said he is expected to be OK. Meanwhile, officials continue to search for the van and the driver.
In surveillance video obtained by NBC10, a white van can be seen stopped at a red light as multiple vehicles surround it. Seconds later, agents get out of their vehicles and move in closer to the van. Then, the driver suddenly forces his van between an agent and the vehicles.
In the video, he appears to sideswipe the agent who loses his balance and falls to the ground.
“On June 15, 2026, ICE law enforcement officers were conducting a targeted vehicle stop in Manahawkin, New Jersey to arrest Friedrich Castillo-Ormeno, an illegal alien from Peru who was released into our country under the Biden administration. He was given a final order of removal by an immigration judge on January 30, 2026. ICE law enforcement officers attempted to conduct a vehicle stop. The driver then weaponized his vehicle and struck an officer resulting in the officer discharging his weapon. The driver fled the scene and remains at-large. The injured officer has been transported to a local hospital for treatment. The FBI and local authorities are on the scene. This is a developing situation, and we will update the public when more information is available. There is a pattern of vehicle attacks against our officers. Our law enforcement officers are facing a 3,300% increase in vehicle attacks against them,” a spokesperson for ICE wrote in a statement to NBC10.
A Stafford Township Police spokesperson said they are not investigating the shooting since it was part of an ICE operation. Instead, police were managing traffic and securing the crime scene.
“ICE agents put their lives on the line every day to enforce our nation’s laws and protect our communities,” New Jersey Congressman Van Drew said in a statement. “Yet too many politicians and activists continue to demonize them for doing the job they are sworn to do. This incident is a reminder of the dangers these brave men and women face. I am grateful the agent is expected to recover, and I will always stand with ICE and law enforcement.”
The Ocean County Prosecutors Office began a preliminary investigation but the FBI has since taken over the probe.
