ICE Agent at NYC Shooting Has History of Alleged Violence and Illegal Arrests
Brenden Cuni, an ICE supervisor, has been accused of excessive force and tackling a pregnant woman to the ground. Several of his arrests were later found to be unlawful in federal court.
An ICE agent, Brenden Cuni, an operations supervisor with the National Fugitive Operations team, has a history of alleged violent arrests and illegal actions, according to a WIRED investigation. Cuni, who was present at a recent shooting in Manhattan’s Marble Hill neighborhood, has been accused of unlawful arrests and using excessive force during such arrests in both New York and Minneapolis.
The incident involving a 5-year-old child in the car resulted in the shooting of Oscar Belgal, who was reportedly hospitalized with a neck injury. The child was unharmed. Cuni's actions during the shooting were captured on video, showing him brandishing a weapon. Federal prosecutors claim that Cuni was attempting to apprehend an undocumented immigrant with a prior conviction for grand larceny.
However, multiple lawsuits and federal court cases suggest that Cuni has been involved in numerous illegal arrests. In one case, he allegedly used excessive force, breaking a tooth of a 21-year-old Bronx man and shocking him multiple times with a Taser while he was handcuffed. In another incident, a pregnant woman was allegedly forced to the ground by Cuni during a Minneapolis operation.
Federal judges have found issues with Cuni's statements and arrest paperwork in at least three federal cases this year, calling some of his actions unlawful and his warrants fraudulent.
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