Criminal illegal immigrant shot by ICE in NYC was ‘menace to society’ with machete at apartment complex: report

Oscar Bergal, 28, whom the Department of Homeland Security said was an illegal immigrant from the Dominican Republic with ties to the Trinitarios gang, was shot on Thursday during a confrontation with ICE agents. Officials said he "accelerated his vehicle, smashing into two of our government ICE vehicles and then weaponized his vehicle and proceeded to accelerate, going towards other officers."

“He’s a menace to society,” a resident in the apartment complex told the New York Post. “I spoke to him once and told him, ‘Look, you need to be more submissive because I see you acting too reckless’ … He thought he was a tough guy."

The resident claimed that Bergal got into a fight with a man outside the building where he pulled a machete on another resident's nephew. The neighbor also said that Bergal was able to dodge ICE previously by running down a fire escape on the building.

“They were looking for him. It seems he had a pending case; Immigration goes after people who have committed crimes,” he said. “Immigration is just doing its job. They go after those who have committed crimes."

According to officials, Bergal has previous charges of robbery, grand larceny, theft, armed with a deadly weapon, conviction, forcible theft, among others. He was previously sentenced to five years of probation in 2025. Despite his past charges, a judge on Friday decided to order that he could not be removed from the country after he was shot.