Ecuador claims ICE agent tried to enter consulate in Minneapolis

2026-01-28 13:41:00, Kosova & Bota CNA

The Ecuadorian government has condemned what it described as an attempt by a US federal immigration agent to enter the Ecuadorian consulate in Minneapolis.

The agent was prevented from entering the consulate by consular officials, who acted "to guarantee the protection of Ecuadorians who were inside the consulate at the time," a statement from Ecuador's Foreign Ministry said.

Ecuador, whose president is a Trump ally, has filed a formal complaint. The incident comes at a time of heightened tensions in the US city, just days after intensive care nurse Alex Pretti was shot dead by border agents during protests against the Trump administration's immigration crackdown in Minneapolis. Ecuador's Foreign Ministry said in a statement that an agent from the US Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agency had "attempted to enter the premises of the consulate" at 11:00 local time (17:00 GMT) on Tuesday.

Under the 1963 Vienna Convention on Consular Relations, consular premises are considered “inviolable.” According to the convention, authorities of the country where the consulate is located “shall not enter” the parts of the consulate used for business “except with the consent of the head of the consular post.” Ecuador said its officials had not given consent for ICE to enter the consulate.

While the Vienna Convention goes on to say that consent can be presumed in certain cases, they are limited to incidents where "immediate protective action" is required, such as in the case of a fire or other disaster. In a video shared by Ecuadorian media, which has not been independently verified by the BBC, a consular official is seen running towards the front door and telling an ICE agent "this is the consulate, you are not allowed in here".

The agent tells the official that “if you touch me, I will catch you.” The consular official then declares again that “you cannot enter here, this is a consulate, this is the office of a foreign government,” before closing the door. In its statement, Ecuador’s foreign ministry said it had “immediately” delivered a formal letter of protest to the US embassy in Quito. The letter of protest marks a rare note of disagreement between Ecuador’s President Daniel Noboa and the Trump administration.

Just over two months ago, the two presidents agreed to strengthen their countries' trade and economic relations, and Noboa has in the past thanked Trump for designating two Ecuadorian criminal gangs as Foreign Terrorist Organizations./ CNA, translated by BBC