BOSTON — A Roslindale ICE arrest that sparked claims of an “abducted neighbor” is now at the center of a public clash between a Boston city councilor and federal officials.

Pepén initially described the incident on Instagram as an “abduction,” saying residents shouldn’t be afraid to run errands in their own neighborhood. After federal officials pushed back, he stood by his criticism.

“If this were a drug trafficking case, the Drug Enforcement Administration would have handled it and would have shared the information to the Boston Police Department ahead of time,” Pepén said in a statement.

“Regardless of whether or not this person has a record, ICE agents wreaked havoc in our neighborhood as they have been doing across the country and DHS has been found time and time of falsely reporting their objectives.”

Federal officials responded bluntly.

“Boston City Council member Enrique Pepen needs to stop with the smears. ICE did NOT abduct anyone,” said Tricia McLaughlin.

McLaughlin added that the man arrested is a “serial criminal undocumented immigrant” charged with identity theft and drug trafficking. Federal authorities have said the charges include trafficking cocaine and fentanyl and using a stolen identity.

The arrest and the rhetoric around it come amid broader tensions between Boston leaders and federal immigration authorities. Pepén is a supporter of the city’s Trust Act, which limits cooperation with ICE detainers. The incident also unfolded the same day Mayor Michelle Wu announced executive actions aimed at restricting how federal immigration agents can operate on city property.

What began as a chaotic street scene — agents, flashing lights, a car idling in traffic — quickly turned into a political flashpoint. On one side: a councilor condemning federal tactics. On the other: federal officials emphasizing the criminal allegations tied to the arrest.

Now, both narratives are firmly on the record.