Tres meses después de la muerte de Johan Sebastián, seguimos luchando por la verdad | Columna
Maine Attorney Leads Family of Colombian Immigrant in Quest for Justice After Fatal ICE Shooting
Portland, Maine – A Portland lawyer who once served as an assistant district attorney in the Bronx is now leading a legal fight for the family of a Colombian immigrant who was shot and killed by an Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agent on July 13, 2026.
The Incident
At approximately 1 a.m. on the morning of July 13, Johan Sebastián Durán Guerrero, a 37‑year‑old Colombian immigrant, walked out of his Portland home. He intended to return to his wife, Karolina, and their small daughter. As he passed a parked vehicle, a federal agent fired a bullet that struck Durán and also penetrated a child safety seat in the car. The agent’s gunfire was the cause of the victim’s death. Durán was not a United States citizen.
The ICE agent later cited “public safety” as the justification for using lethal force, a claim that the family says is unsupported by the circumstances. The only other explanation offered is the agent’s assertion that the situation demanded an immediate response to protect the public.
The Family’s Response
Omar and Dora Durán, Johan’s parents, flew from Colombia to retrieve their son’s body. In Portland’s funeral home, the family’s mother shouted in pain over the sight of her son’s lifeless body. Johan’s sister, Daniela, and his wife Karolina also traveled to the United States to be with the family. Karolina has a young daughter, and the family maintains that the child was never in the car at the time of the shooting.
The family has been demanding accountability from federal authorities and has called for a thorough investigation. “The only justification we have been given is ‘public safety’,” a representative of the family told the press. “We do not accept this as a reason for the loss of our son.”
Legal Efforts
Sean P. Murphy, a former Bronx assistant district attorney and federal prosecutor who worked on organized‑crime cases and the Department of Justice’s investigation into the January 6 Capitol attack, is the attorney representing the Durán family. Murphy now practices law in Maine and partners with Ben Gideon, an attorney who specializes in immigration law.
In late October, Murphy and Gideon met with officials in the office of the Maine Attorney General. The meeting was significant because it is the only state agency that has confirmed that it is investigating the use of lethal force by a federal agent. The pair requested the return of items that had been seized as part of the investigation. While several items were returned, the child safety seat that had been pierced by a federal bullet remained missing. The family asked why it had not been returned, and the officials explained that the seat was considered a potential evidentiary object.
“We want to understand every detail of what happened and why,” Murphy told a local news outlet. “We’re working to secure all the evidence that can shed light on the agent’s actions.”
Broader Context
Durán’s death is not an isolated incident. The family cites other ICE-related
