Man Shot by ICE Had History of Crimes, Fled Again
Dominican national shot by ICE agents had prior arrests for robbery and drug dealing, officials say.
2 min read
A Dominican national shot by ICE agents during an attempted arrest in the Bronx has a history of criminal activity, according to federal officials. Oscar Belgal, 28, was wounded in the neck after he drove into two plainclothes agents during a high-speed chase in Marble Hill on Thursday. His 5-year-old son, who was in the vehicle, was not physically harmed. Belgal was treated at NewYork-Presbyterian Allen Hospital and later moved into federal custody at the Metropolitan Detention Center in Brooklyn.
Arrest History and Legal Troubles
Court records show Belgal was arrested in late 2023 and accused of holding up two passengers in his car at gunpoint on Morris Avenue. He was released without bail, later pled guilty to a reduced charge of fourth-degree grand larceny, and was sentenced to a month in jail and five years of probation. In August 2025, he was arrested again on charges of selling fentanyl, cocaine, and heroin. The case remains open.
ICE Detainer Ignored
Federal officials said ICE filed a detainer after the drug arrest, but the city did not honor it. Thursday’s encounter was ICE’s second attempt to take Belgal into custody. Officials said he evaded agents in September. Homeland Security Secretary Markwayne Mullin said federal investigators believed Belgal had “direct or indirect knowledge” of the July 2025 shooting of an off-duty Customs and Border Protection officer in Fort Washington Park.
Sanctuary Laws and Political Reactions
Two Dominican nationals in the country illegally were charged in that attack, in which the officer was shot in the face and arm and returned fire. ABC7 reported both were sentenced in federal court this week. Mullin blamed New York’s sanctuary laws, calling them a threat to public safety. Mayor Zohran Mamdani, who has called for abolishing ICE, referred to Belgal as “a New Yorker.” He said the agents’ masks and construction vests left “no reasonable way to identify them as ICE agents.” Gov. Kathy Hochul said residents “deserve to know exactly what happened.”
Body Camera Footage Unreleased
Mullin said the agents were wearing body cameras, but DHS has not released the footage. The incident has sparked further debate over immigration enforcement and local cooperation with federal agencies.
Source: Daily Wire
