Ex-wives of ICE agent warned about his violent past before deadly Maine shooting

An ICE agent named David Brouillette shot and killed a 25-year-old Colombian immigrant during a traffic stop in Biddeford, Maine, on July 13. The victim, Johan Sebastián Durán Guerrero, had legal permission to work in the United States and lived nearby with his wife and young child. Now, two of Brouillette's ex-wives are speaking out, saying they warned people for years that he was dangerous.

Ashley Brouillette, David's first ex-wife, said ICE's background investigators never contacted her before hiring him. She said she was not surprised when she heard the news. 'For years, I told people he was going to hurt somebody,' she told The Independent. She also said David still called her and left threatening messages even though they had been divorced for 17 years.

Ashley said David told her in November that he had been hired by ICE, but she didn't believe him at first. She learned the truth on July 14, when a reporter called to ask about the shooting. She believed the tragedy could have been prevented. 'This could have been 100 percent preventable,' she said.

David's second ex-wife, Lucinda Brouillette, also spoke out publicly. She sent a written statement to reporters saying she believed David was fully capable of extreme violence. 'Throughout our marriage and in the years that followed, I have feared for a long time that his anger, aggression, and escalating behavior would eventually result in severe, life threatening violence,' she wrote. She also went to court to ask for a protective order and temporary custody of their 11-year-old daughter.

Lucinda said she had brought her concerns to law enforcement and the courts many times over the years. She described what she called a long pattern of abuse, intimidation, and controlling behavior. She said her warnings 'did not receive the attention I believed they deserved.' Court records also included claims that David had kicked down her door and was abusive toward his daughters.

Ashley shared a voicemail with reporters in which David made violent threats against her and her family. ICE did not respond directly to questions about the shooting or about how Brouillette was hired. A spokesperson said the agency would not confirm details about its officers. ICE instead spoke about threats it said its agents face on the job.

David Brouillette and Ashley dated in high school, and she said he was a great boyfriend back then. Problems started after he joined the Maine Army National Guard in 2007, the same year they married. He served in the military until 2015 and was deployed to Afghanistan. After leaving the military, he worked many jobs, including as a VA police officer, a truck driver, and a food delivery driver.

As a child, David was diagnosed with severe bipolar disorder and attempted suicide twice at age 12, according to a close family member who spoke to the Associated Press. That family member described David as 'extremely mentally ill' and had cut off contact out of fear. David does not have a criminal record, but family court documents include claims of stalking and physical abuse.

When President Trump took office again in January 2025, he promised to hire thousands of new ICE agents as quickly as possible. To speed things up, ICE lowered its hiring standards — for example, dropping the minimum age from 21 to 18 and no longer requiring a college degree. An Associated Press investigation found that the fast hiring process made it hard to screen out unqualified applicants. Several new hires had troubled backgrounds that were not fully checked.

Ashley ended with a message to others who may be in similar situations. 'I just want people to know, I tried to speak out about this years ago, but I wish that I had pushed harder,' she said. 'Don't just let people silence you the way I did. Speak up, because it could save somebody's life.'