Vermont State Troopers and federal law enforcement officials remove demonstrators surrounding a house where a suspect who fled an earlier attempted stop by ICE is thought to be in South Burlington on Wednesday, March 11, 2026. Photo by Glenn Russell/VTDigger Federal immigration authorities are c hanging their story on the key event leading to the standoff and raid on a South Burlington home earlier this month.  U.S Immigration and Customs Enforcement no longer believes that a man they maintained was the driver of a fleeing vehicle that eventually spurred the chaotic operation was actually behind the wheel, according to a new court filing. The raid prompted strong criticism from political leaders and civil rights advocates across the state, who condemned the tactics used by ICE in carrying out the operation. The incident has also led to scrutiny of state and local police for their role working alongside ICE and physically engaging with protestors.   Colton Riley, a deportation officer with ICE in St. Albans, wrote in the filing Tuesday that since the March 11 raid on the Dorset Street residence, another person has been interviewed who says he was the driver of that vehicle with an unnamed 18-year-old male passenger. As a result, Riley wrote in the federal court filing, “I no longer believe” that Deyvi Daniel Corona-Sanchez “was an occupant of the Toyota Camry I observed on March 11, 2026.” Riley wrote in an earlier filing that on March 11, while conducting surveillance of a residence on Dorset Street, he saw a blue Toyota Camry and after he “queried the registration for the vehicle” learned that it was registered to Corona-Sanchez.  Riley added in that filing that he was about 50 yards away from the Toyota Camry and saw two men enter the vehicle. Also, Riley wrote, he reviewed a photo of Corona-Sanchez from a prior immigration interaction and believed that Corona-Sanchez was the person who got into the vehicle’s driver seat. Riley wrote that as the Toyota Camry drove on Dorset Street, he turned on his lights and sirens to try to stop the vehicle, but the vehicle did not stop and continued to drive, eventually crashing into other vehicles, including unmarked ICE vehicles. Another ICE officer later told Riley that two men eventually fled the Camry on foot and ran into a residence on Dorset Street, according to the filing. That led to an hourslong standoff as hundreds of protesters gathered outside the home.  ICE officers then obtained warrants to enter the home and arrest Corona-Sanchez on a criminal charge of illegally reentering the United States after he previously had been removed. However, after breaking down the home door and storming the residence, agents did not locate Corona-Sanchez inside, according to federal authorities. Three other people inside the home were detained by ICE and taken into custody before they were released following court hearings last week. They each face further hearings in immigration courts.  Meanwhile, Corona-Sanchez remains at large.  New evidence According to Tuesday’s filing, ICE’s understanding of the events leading to the South Burlington raid have changed. In the filing, Riley wrote that he spoke with FBI Special Agent Matthew Johnson, who had interviewed one of the people detained by ICE in the Dorset Street home. Johnson, Riley wrote, told him that the interviewee said he was the driver of the Toyota Camry on March 11 and that an 18-year–old was the passenger.  That new understanding contradicts the federal government’s initial explanation that it was Corona-Sanchez behind the wheel of the fleeing vehicle. The U.S. Department of Homeland Security, which oversees ICE, in a press release March 16 highlighted the case in Vermont. The release also contains quotes from Deputy Assistant Secretary Lauren Bis pointing to Corona-Sanchez as the driver of the fleeing vehicle, which Riley now contends he doesn’t believe was the case. “During the attempted arrest, Corona-Sanchez weaponized his vehicle and rammed our ICE law enforcement officers,” Bis stated in the release. “He fled on foot into a nearby residence and remains at-large.”  ICE officials could not immediately be reached Tuesday for comment.  This story will be updated. Read the story on VTDigger here: ICE now says man they sought in South Burlington raid was not in fleeing vehicle. ...read more read less