MINNEAPOLIS — A Russian national who illegally entered the United States and later caused a fiery Minnesota crash that killed an innocent truck driver has been arrested by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, according to the U.S. Department of Homeland Security.
Federal officials said ICE officers arrested Georgii Gabiev on June 9, 2026, in Brooklyn, New York. Gabiev will remain in ICE custody pending removal proceedings.
The case stems from a deadly March 5, 2024, crash in rural Chippewa County, Minnesota, where truck driver Tim Tarnowski was killed after Gabiev failed to obey a stop sign and slammed into Tarnowski’s semi-truck.
According to DHS, Gabiev was driving a pickup truck at the time of the crash and was using an iPad to watch a YouTube video about learning English. The collision killed Tarnowski and left his family shattered.
Gabiev later pleaded guilty to criminal vehicular homicide, but DHS said he served just 120 days in jail.
The case has now become part of a broader national debate over illegal immigration, criminal justice and public safety after federal officials said Gabiev had illegally entered the United States in California in 2022 and was released by the Biden administration.
DHS Secretary Markwayne Mullin called Tarnowski’s widow, Tammy Tarnowski, to tell her Gabiev had been arrested by ICE.
“Although Tim will never be brought back, Gabiev’s capture will bring the justice deserved,” Tammy Tarnowski said in a statement released by DHS. “Our family now has closure and we can begin the healing process needed to move forward. Our hope is that this will bring light to Angel Families and will save others from going through the heartache we have endured.”
Federal officials used sharp language in announcing the arrest, blaming the prior administration’s immigration policies for allowing Gabiev to remain in the country.
“This illegal alien had no business being in our country and on our roadways,” Mullin said. “If it weren’t for the Biden administration’s open border policies, this tragedy would never have happened, and Tim would still be alive. This is our why. President Trump and I will never stop fighting for justice for Angel Families.”
The Minnesota crash report from the time of the collision said Tarnowski, 59, of Pelican Rapids, Minnesota, was driving a Freightliner semi eastbound on Highway 7 when Gabiev, then 32 and listed as being from Brooklyn, New York, was driving a Ford F-350 northbound on County Road 4. The vehicles collided at the rural intersection.
Tarnowski died in the crash. Gabiev suffered non-life-threatening injuries.
Court reporting from Minnesota later showed Gabiev was sentenced in Chippewa County District Court after pleading guilty to criminal vehicular homicide. A judge set aside a prison sentence and instead imposed jail time and probation.
Minnesota law allows criminal vehicular homicide to be punished by up to 10 years in prison, a fine of up to $20,000, or both, depending on the circumstances.
For Tarnowski’s family, however, the punishment did not match the loss.
DHS said Gabiev will now remain in ICE custody as federal officials seek to remove him from the United States.
