ICE Shooting Turns Into Neighborhood Nightmare: The Tale of Oscar Belgal

When ICE agents finally caught up with Oscar Belgal on a Bronx street last Thursday, the scene felt like something ripped straight out of a crime drama – only this time, the drama had been playing out for months in a Washington Heights apartment building.

Belgal, 28, arrived in the United States as part of a migrant caravan in 2022 and, according to federal officials, slipped through the border without ever meeting a patrol agent. He has been linked to the Trinitarios street gang, a group notorious for its violent reputation.

One former neighbor – a Dominican who asked to stay anonymous for safety reasons – recalled a chilling episode that still haunts the hallway. “He pulled a machete on a kid’s nephew,” the man said, his voice shaking. “It was insane. No one was seriously hurt, but you could feel the fear in the air.”

The neighbor added that Belgal’s behavior was anything but ordinary. “I once told him to chill out, that he was acting reckless,” he said, pausing. “He just laughed and kept acting like a tough guy.”

Belgal’s criminal record is a long, tangled list: a 2023 armed‑robbery conviction, an August 2025 arrest for allegedly selling fentanyl, cocaine and heroin, and a string of immigration violations. Prosecutors refused to set bail, yet he was released under a strict supervised‑release program after the 2025 drug case.

New York’s sanctuary laws meant that ICE’s request to hand him over after the 2025 arrest was denied, allowing Belgal to slip further away. In September, agents tried to apprehend him, but he escaped by scrambling down a fire‑escape, according to the neighbor.

That escape finally ended on Thursday. Two plain‑clothed ICE officers approached Belgal’s gray Honda CR‑V as he pulled out of a parking spot on 225th Street in Marble Hill. One officer smashed the driver’s‑side window, and Belgal reportedly accelerated, ramming into two agents – a moment not captured on the CCTV footage obtained by the Post.

Within a half‑block, officers closed in outside C&G Gourmet Deli. Shots rang out and Belgal was hit in the neck. His five‑year‑old son, sitting in the back seat, was unharmed. The wound left a bullet lodged in his neck, making eating difficult, his lawyer later told reporters.

The incident sparked immediate protests in Midtown. Demonstrators holding signs that read “Justice for Oscar Belgal” and “Abolish ICE” gathered, while others demanded the NYPD commissioner’s resignation. The tension was palpable, but the neighborhood’s long‑time residents seemed relieved.

“He was a danger to society,” the former neighbor said, shaking his head. “He drives around with his son, but he’s a criminal. If he owes society a debt, he should pay it.”

Another resident, an older woman who had barely known Belgal, admitted she was surprised. “I never heard anything about him being wanted by the feds,” she murmured. “Maybe I’m out of the loop, but it’s shocking.”

Barber Melvin, who works an avenue away, summed up the mood: “It’s a relief he’s finally in custody. When someone is a criminal, they cause harm on the streets. It’s good the city is taking action.”

Mayor Mamdani, who controversially called Belgal a “New Yorker” while attempting to negotiate his release, now faces criticism for seeming to downplay the seriousness of the case. ICE, meanwhile, says it is simply doing its job, targeting individuals who have committed violent crimes.

Belgal remains in the hospital, expected to recover, while his legal battles continue. His attorney has not responded to requests for comment.