FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contact: Danna Hayes, Danna.hayes@maine.gov
Statement of Attorney General Aaron M. Frey Prompted by the Shadow Hearing on the Use of Deadly Force by ICE in the death of Johan Sebastián Durán Guerrero
AUGUSTA – The Office of the Maine Attorney General continues to actively investigate the shooting death of Mr. Johan Sebastián Durán Guerrero by a federal Enforcement Removal Operations Officer in Biddeford on July 13, 2026.
Under Maine Law, the Attorney General’s Office has exclusive responsibility both for any criminal investigation of a homicide and for the use of deadly force by law enforcement acting in an official capacity. In cooperation with relevant local, state and federal agencies, this office has been collecting, processing, and analyzing evidence to determine whether Maine law authorizes legal action to address the conduct.
Once the investigation is complete and the Attorney General has determined whether available evidence supports any action under Maine law, the entire file will be provided to the Maine Deadly Force Review Panel, as contemplated by 5 M.R.S § 200-K, for review and recommendations in effort to minimize and, to the greatest extent possible, prevent the use of deadly force.
As a general matter, neither the Office of the Maine Attorney General nor the Maine Deadly Force Review Panel may exercise jurisdiction over the practices of the Department of Homeland Security, and it will be the responsibility of either the federal administration or Congress to address any questions raised by such review.
Finally, the Office of the Maine Attorney General is keenly aware of the public interest in this case and is committed to a thorough, impartial investigation that ensures meaningful transparency and public confidence. While completeness and transparency are objectives of equal importance, protecting the integrity of the investigation takes priority while evidence is still being gathered. This Office is regularly assessing whether substantive updates may be made available without interfering with this important work. At the appropriate time, more information will be made publicly available. In the meantime, we appreciate patience as we proceed.