An Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agent killed legal observer Renee Nicole Good in Minneapolis, Minnesota on Wednesday January 7.

The Guardian reports: “A witness to the incident, Emily Heller, told local media that the victim was shot in the face multiple times. Heller said she saw a car blocking traffic that appeared to be part of a protest against the ICE operation, and heard an agent telling the driver, a woman, to ’get out of here’.”

The article continues: “‘She was trying to turn around, and the ICE agent was in front of her car, and he pulled out a gun and put it right in – like his midriff was on her bumper – and he reached across the hood of the car and shot her in the face like three, four times,’ Heller told MPR News, a Minneapolis public radio station.”

NBC News adds: “A 37-year-old woman was fatally shot by an ICE agent today after a group of people began blocking officers during an immigration-related operation in Minneapolis, the Department of Homeland Security said.”

BBC News video still of the shooting.

Representative Ilhan Omar (Democrat-Minnesota) says: “ICE’s actions today were unconscionable and reprehensible. I am beyond outraged that their reckless, callous actions led to the killing of a legal observer in Minneapolis. …This is not law enforcement. It is state violence.”

And Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey says: “What [ICE is] doing is not to provide safety in America. What they are doing is causing chaos and distrust. They’re ripping families apart. They’re sowing chaos on our streets, and in this case, quite literally killing people.” Frey said he had a message for ICE: “Get the f— out of Minneapolis.”

The Guardian article further notes: “The Immigration Defense Network, a coalition of groups serving immigrants in Minnesota, held a training session Tuesday night for about 100 people who are willing to hit the streets to monitor the federal enforcement.”

The Immigration Defense Network’s website has previously highlighted: “The IDN’s rapid response strategy includes maintaining helpline infrastructure, deploying observers, and organizing public demonstrations.”

This evening, the Associated Press reports: “As the sun set over Minneapolis, the crowd stood at the intersection where the motorist was killed just before a vigil was set to start. Most were quiet. Some held profanity-laced signs against ICE, waving Mexican flags or sporting keffiyeh scarves. A few blocks north, cars and improvised barricades blocked the main avenue.”

And USA Today now reports: “A vigil to recognize the woman shot by an immigration agent started at 5 p.m. at the site of the incident on Portland Avenue in Minneapolis. Close to 1,000 people were in attendance as of 5:30 p.m. The crowd chanted the woman’s name, Renee Good, and called for immigration authorities to leave Minneapolis, saying ‘ICE out now.’”

The New York Times reports that the shooting of Renee Nicole Good “is the 9th ICE Shooting Since September.”

ICE and Canadian armoured vehicle company

Last month, CBC News reported: “U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement earmarked millions of dollars for a bulk order for 20 armoured vehicles from Canadian defence manufacturer Roshel that are built to resist bullets and bomb blasts.”

BNN Bloomberg further reported: “[Member of Parliament Jenny Kwan says] she’s ‘deeply’ and ‘profoundly’ troubled because the ICE agency has been credibly accused of human rights abuses. …Kelsey Gallagher from Project Ploughshares, a non-governmental organization that promotes peace, said if the vehicles were sold to any other security service in the world with the same documented pattern of abuse, Ottawa likely would step in to stop it.”

BNN Bloomberg reported that ICE awarded the contract to Roshel on November 28, 2025, with ICE declaring that Roshel would complete the order within 30 days. That would place the delivery of these armoured vehicles to ICE just prior to the killing of Renee Good in Minnesota.

Video still: Roshel at the CANSEC 2025 arms show in Ottawa.

Photo: US Embassy in Ottawa, January 4, 2026.

Along with documenting violations against human rights defenders (HRDs) in Venezuela, multiple human rights experts have denounced the US military attack against Venezuela and highlight that the US contravention of international law and focus on oil puts the lives of human rights defenders at even greater risk.

Attacks against HRDs

Amnesty International has noted: “The NGO Centre for Defenders and Justice recorded 979 attacks and security incidents against human rights defenders during 2024, an increase compared with 524 such events in 2023.”

Their report also documented: “By October, the NGO Foro Penal confirmed more than 1,900 of the detentions, of which 129 were of children. By the end of the year, the government had freed 1,369 people and detained 15 others. However, hundreds of people remained arbitrarily deprived of their liberty, including three children.”

Military action a violation of international law

On January 3, 2026, the day of the US attack on Venezuela, Amnesty International stated: “Today’s military action by the US Trump Administration in Venezuela, which resulted in the capture of Nicolás Maduro and Cilia Flores, raises grave concerns for the human rights of the Venezuelan population. It most likely constitutes a violation of international law, including the UN Charter, as does the stated US intention to run Venezuela and control its oil resources.”

They further cautioned: “Those most immediately at risk include human rights defenders and political activists who have courageously opposed Maduro government’s human rights violations and crimes under international law for years.”

That same day, a United Nations statement highlighted: “The UN Independent International Fact-Finding Mission on Venezuela has voiced grave concern over the country’s human rights situation following the US attack…”

That statement added: “Expert member Alex Neve [a previous Secretary General of Amnesty International Canada] stressed that alleged violations do not justify a military intervention that breaches international law, while the illegality of such an intervention does not diminish the responsibility of Venezuelan officials for years of repression, amounting to crimes against humanity.”

BBC video still, January 6, 2026: Alex Neve: “[The illegality of the US military action in Venezuela] doesn’t at all somehow absolve the Maduro regime of its years of responsibility for crimes against humanity. Just like the fact that there has been this record of atrocious human rights violations in Venezuela doesn’t justify an illegal military intervention by the United States government.”

The International Federation for Human Rights (FIDH) and its member organizations, including, further stated: “Unilateral bombings and military operations are not legitimate tools for conflict resolution; historically, they have led to serious human rights violations, war crimes, and impunity.”

Türk: Military intervention not a victory for human rights

And on January 5, Volker Türk, the United Nations High Commissioner for human rights, commented: “Far from being a victory for human rights, this military intervention – in contravention of Venezuelan sovereignty and the UN charter – damages the architecture of international security, making every country less safe.”

Journalists detained following US attack

The Washington Post has reported: “Venezuela’s government has moved quickly to suppress any public expression of support for Maduro’s ouster, launching a nationwide crackdown that has included the detention of journalists, the arrest of civilians and the deployment of armed gangs across the capital.”

The Committee to Protect Journalists has also condemned: “the detention of at least 14 journalists and media workers in Caracas during the inauguration ceremony of Delcy Rodríguez as president [on January 5], and urges Venezuelan authorities to guarantee that journalists can report freely without intimidation, surveillance, or retaliation.”

GAM, ProDESC condemn US attack, call for the protection of HRDs

That same day, the International Service for Human Rights (ISHR) and 37 other human rights organizations in Latin America – including the Mutual Support Group (GAM) in Guatemala, the Economic, Social and Cultural Rights Project (ProDESC) in Mexico, and Temblores in Colombia – condemned the “US military attack” against Venezuela and called on the international community “to protect human rights defenders, protesters, and political prisoners in Venezuela…”

Political prisoners not on Trump’s agenda

During a media scrum on Air Force One on Sunday January 4, a reporter asked US President Donald Trump: “Are you going to demand that [interim Venezuelan president] Delcy Rodriguez let opposition figures return or free any political prisoners?”

Trump responded: “We haven’t gotten to that yet. Right now, what we want to do is fix up the oil, fix up the country.”

Within just a few days of that comment on Air Force One, CNN reported: “President Donald Trump said Tuesday [January 6] night that Venezuela will turn over 30 million to 50 million barrels of oil to the United States, to be sold at market value and with the proceeds controlled by the US.”

Now, the World Organisation Against Torture (OMCT) is warning of “the risk of new and serious human rights violations in Venezuela”, urging “Venezuelan authorities to immediately guarantee the protection of all human rights defenders”, and calling on “the international community to take a more active and effective role in promoting and protecting human rights in Venezuela.”

We continue to follow this.

Further reading

PBI-Canada amplifies voices of human rights defenders following the US military action in Venezuela, threats against Colombia and Mexico (January 6, 2026)

Human rights defender Lola from Venezuela – Peace Brigades International | PBI Nederland (4 minute video, June 2025)

Documentary of LGBTIQ+ activist Yendri Velásquez – Peace Brigades International – The Netherlands (1 minute video, March 2024)

PBI The Netherlands – documentary about Venezuelan human rights defender David Gómez Gamboa (13 minute video, July 8, 2020).

The EU-LAT Network is a pluralistic network of European movements and organizations that promote solidarity between the people of Latin America and Europe.

Its membership of over 43 European non-profits and individual members includes PBI-Guatemala, PBI-Honduras, PBI-Mexico and PBI-Nicaragua.

On January 5, 2026, the EU-LAT Network urged “the European Union to Reject Military Actions Carried Out in Venezuelan Territory”.

Their statement highlights: “The EU-LAT Network expresses its dismay at the violation of international law committed by the US government in Venezuela on January 3, 2026… The US armed aggression comes after months of escalating tension, which has included a significant military deployment off the Venezuelan coast and a series of lethal attacks. …We categorically reject this illegal military intervention, whose stated objective is the control of the country’s oil resources and their administration by a foreign power.”

It concludes: “From the EU-LAT Network, we urge the European Union and its Member States to clearly and publicly express their rejection of this military intervention and to call on the US government to refrain from resorting to the use of force and threats against the territorial integrity, sovereignty, and independence of Venezuela.”

The two-page statement was posted by the EU-LAT Advocacy Network on LinkedIn here. The full statement can also be read below.

The EU-LAT Network Urges the European Union to Reject Military Actions Carried Out in Venezuelan Territory

The EU-LAT Network expresses its dismay at the violation of international law committed by the US government in Venezuela on January 3, 2026, and joins the warnings issued by its members and allied organizations, as well as the alarm raised by the UN Secretary-General regarding the serious impacts of these events on peace, democracy, and human rights in the region and the world.

The US armed aggression comes after months of escalating tension, which has included a significant military deployment off the Venezuelan coast and a series of lethal attacks. These actions threaten regional stability, represent a serious violation of the UN Charter, and flagrantly undermine the rules-based international order. Furthermore, the region has widely supported this issue during the recent CELAC-EU Summit. Moreover, these actions set dangerous precedents within a worrying trend toward a new international order where dialogue and norms appear to be replaced by the law of the strongest.

The international community is aware that Venezuela is experiencing a prolonged democratic decline, a breakdown of the rule of law, and a complete closure of civic space, which has led to an unprecedented social, economic, and humanitarian crisis, forcing the migration of approximately 8 million Venezuelans from the country. Nicolás Maduro has remained in power following the 2014 elections, which failed to meet standards of electoral integrity and transparency, a situation widely condemned by the international community. During his administration, various actors have been involved in serious and systematic human rights violations and crimes against humanity, widely documented in regional forums of the OAS, the European Union, and the United Nations.

While acknowledging the gravity of this situation, we warn of the serious risk of further and massive human rights violations occurring amidst the current high uncertainty, in the context of a state of emergency, and in light of recent declarations by the United States government regarding its intention to administer the country. As the United Nations Independent International Fact-Finding Mission on the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela has stated, human rights must, without exception, take precedence. The Venezuelan people need and deserve solutions that fully comply with international law, guarantee accountability for human rights violations, and do not exacerbate the situation in the country.

Therefore, we categorically reject this illegal military intervention, whose stated objective is the control of the country’s oil resources and their administration by a foreign power. We stand in solidarity with the Venezuelan people who, for decades, have been victims of grave human rights violations. We affirm that the only way to resolve this crisis must be through the Venezuelan people themselves, with the active support and accompaniment of the international community, using peaceful and democratic mechanisms, in full respect for international law and the principles of territorial integrity, sovereignty, and self-determination of peoples.

The commitment of the European Union and its Member States to democracy, justice, and fundamental freedoms requires a clear and unwavering defense of the principles of the Charter of the United Nations and international law. These are not optional: they are a guiding framework, both in times of calm and in times of crisis, such as the one Venezuela is experiencing today. From the EU-LAT Network, we urge the European Union and its Member States to clearly and publicly express their rejection of this military intervention and to call on the US government to refrain from resorting to the use of force and threats against the territorial integrity, sovereignty, and independence of Venezuela.

This ALERT FOR REGIONAL PEACE states: “Organizations, networks, and social and human rights platforms in Latin America express our strong rejection of the military aggression against Venezuela and the kidnapping of President Nicolás Maduro and his wife perpetrated by the United States.”

The statement “reaffirms that military aggression can never be a solution and that the defense of life, the self-determination of peoples, and regional peace must prevail over any geopolitical interest.”

Among the signatories to this ALERT are several organizations accompanied by Peace Brigades International (PBI): the Honduran Alternative for Community and Environmental Vindication (ARCAH) in Honduras; the Humanitarian Action Corporation for Coexistence and Peace in Northeast Antioquia (CAHUCOPANA); Regional Corporation for the Defence of Human Rights (CREDHOS); Political Prisoners Solidarity Committee (CSPP); Corporation Judicial Freedom (CJL); Social Corporation for Community Advice and Training Services (COSPACC); Association for Social Research and Action (NOMADESC) in Colombia; and the Space for Civil Society Organizations for the Protection of Human Rights Defenders and Journalists (Espacio OSC) in Mexico.

Other PBI accompanied organizations, defenders and communities that have posted on social media include: the Council of Popular and Indigenous Organizations of Honduras (COPINH); Carlos Ernesto Choc in Guatemala; and the José Alvear Restrepo Lawyers’ Collective (CAJAR) in Colombia.

CAJAR social media post: “Attention More than 900 organizations, networks, platforms, social movements, and human rights groups in the country and Latin America. We strongly condemn the military aggression against Venezuela and the kidnapping of President Nicolás Maduro and his wife by the United States!”

COPINH social media post: “COPINH repudiates the infamous attack of the US Government and Army against the people and territory of Venezuela.”

Additionally, the Regional Corporation for the Defence of Human Rights (CREDHOS) posted this statement on Instagram. It highlights: “From CREDHOS we manifest our absolute REJECT to IMPERIALIST INTERVENTION and call on the progressive and democratic forces of the country to join efforts in defense of national sovereignty and self-determination of peoples.”

Committee of Relatives of the Detained and Disappeared in Honduras (COFADEH) social media post: “Berta Oliva, General Coordinator of COFADEH, speaks out against an event that seemed unthinkable: an attack that violates basic principles of respect between nations.
What happened confirms that terrorism and political violence continue to be used as tools of power.
From this territory, she makes an urgent appeal for national and international solidarity in the face of an attack that cannot be normalized.”

PBI-Canada

PBI-Canada will continue to amplify the voices of the organizations, defenders and communities that PBI accompanies.

FURTHER READING

United Nations

This statement posted by a spokesperson on behalf of Antonio Guterres notes: “The Secretary-General is deeply alarmed by the recent escalation in Venezuela, culminating with today’s United States military action in the country, which has potential worrying implications for the region. Independently of the situation in Venezuela, these developments constitute a dangerous precedent. The Secretary-General continues to emphasize the importance of full respect – by all – of international law, including the UN Charter. He’s deeply concerned that the rules of international law have not been respected. The Secretary-General calls on all actors in Venezuela to engage in inclusive dialogue, in full respect of human rights and the rule of law.”

Another United Nations statement issued today also notes: “The UN Independent International Fact-Finding Mission on Venezuela has voiced grave concern over the country’s human rights situation following the US attack and capture of President Maduro, urging that accountability for long-documented abuses must not be eclipsed by the unfolding crisis.”

It then further highlights: “Expert member Alex Neve stressed that alleged violations do not justify a military intervention that breaches international law, while the illegality of such an intervention does not diminish the responsibility of Venezuelan officials for years of repression, amounting to crimes against humanity.”

UN to meet on Monday

Reuters now reports: “The United Nations Security Council is due to meet on Monday [January 5] after the U.S. attacked Venezuela and deposed its long-serving autocratic President Nicolas Maduro, a move that U.N. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres views as setting ‘a dangerous precedent’. Colombia, backed by Russia and China, requested the meeting of the 15-member council, diplomats said.”

Canada

Canadian prime minister Mark Carney has now posted: “One of the first actions taken by Canada’s new government in March 2025 was to impose additional sanctions on Nicolás Maduro’s brutally oppressive and criminal regime — unequivocally condemning his grave breaches of international peace and security, gross and systematic human rights violations, and corruption.”

The prime minister adds: “In keeping with our long-standing commitment to upholding the rule of law, sovereignty, and human rights, Canada calls on all parties to respect international law. We stand by the Venezuelan people’s sovereign right to decide and build their own future in a peaceful and democratic society.”

And earlier in the day, Canadian foreign affairs minister Anita Anand posted: “Since 2019, when Canada closed its embassy in Venezuela, we have refused to recognize any legitimacy of the Maduro regime and opposed its repression of the Venezuelan people, including the persecution of dissenters and particularly political leaders opposed to the regime.”

Anand adds: “In keeping with our long-standing commitment to upholding the rule of law and democracy, Canada calls on all parties to respect international law and we stand by the people of Venezuela and their desire to live in a peaceful and democratic society.”

Human rights organizations

Human Rights Watch notes that it “will continue to monitor and investigate any US strikes on Venezuelan soil. The US extrajudicial execution of 115 people in vessels in the Caribbean Sea and Pacific Ocean, in the buildup to these strikes in Venezuela, are a worrying sign of the Trump administration’s disregard for its human rights obligations. Human Rights Watch will also monitor the response from the current Venezuelan authorities, including any further abuses against political opponents and critics in the country.”

And Amnesty International states that it is “alarmed that the attack against Venezuela and capture of Nicolás Maduro and Cilia Flores by one of the five permanent members of the United Nations Security Council further deepen the breakdown of international law and the rules-based order. These actions signal an international system run by military force, threats, and intimidation, and they increase the risks of copycat actions by others.”

As the hours and minutes count down to midnight, please consider a year-end (or beginning of the new year) donation to support the work of Peace Brigades International-Canada.

Our intent is to continue to accompany frontline defenders in Colombia, Guatemala, Honduras and Mexico, support social and environmental movements in Indonesia, Nepal, Kenya, Costa Rica and Southeast Asia, as well as expand our global accompaniment model to assist with the protection needs of Indigenous land and environmental defenders on their territories here in Canada.

1- CanadaHelps.org

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Your donation helps to sustain the work of the one staff person and twelve volunteers at PBI-Canada who work in close collaboration with teams in Latin America, Africa and Europe who accompany front line defenders through communications, advocacy, networking and support for our protection teams.

Expect exciting and meaningful work in 2026.