Federal prosecutors have charged Immigration and Customs Enforcement officer Christian Castro with making false statements following the January shooting of a Venezuelan man in Minneapolis.
Federal Indictment and the Minneapolis Shooting
The Department of Justice has charged ICE agent Christian Castro with making false statements connected to the January shooting of Julio Cesar Sosa-Celis in Minneapolis. According to anonymous sources cited by The Associated Press, CBS News, The New York Times, and CNN, Castro allegedly lied to investigators about the circumstances that led to the shooting during a winter immigration crackdown. Sosa-Celis on Jan. 14 after a car chase and foot pursuit with his roommate. Minnesota prosecutors allege that Castro fired through the door of a home, hitting Sosa-Celis in the leg. The Department of Homeland Security initially claimed that an officer had fired a “defensive shot” after being attacked by three men with a snow shovel and broom handle. Castro claimed he shot Sosa-Celis after being attacked with a shovel and broom while attempting to make an arrest. However, surveillance video and witness statements ultimately contradicted his story. In February, ICE said two immigration agents might have made untruthful statements
about the shooting, and they were placed on administrative leave after department officials reviewed video evidence. The charges against the migrants were dismissed, with prosecutors citing newly discovered evidence
, CBS reported. Alfredo Alejandro Aljorna and Julio Cesar Sosa-Celis, who was shot in the leg and survived, were originally charged with forcibly assaulting, resisting or impeding federal officers.
Extradition Battles and Texas Custody Release
Before facing federal indictment, Castro encountered a complex legal battle involving state charges in Minnesota and a detention standoff in Texas. Minnesota prosecutors charged him in May with four counts of assault and one count of falsely reporting a crime because they allege he lied about the encounter. Castro was arrested in Texas in late May on a warrant by the Department of Homeland Security Office of the Inspector General, the Texas Rangers, and the Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension, according to Daniel Borgertpoepping of the Hennepin County Attorney’s Office in Minnesota. Minnesota officials have been locked in a battle with Texas Governor Greg Abbott to force Castro’s extradition. Minnesota sued Abbott, asking a federal court in Texas to keep Castro detained while they fought to force the extradition. Because he did not agree to leave the state, Gov. Greg Abbott, a Republican, would have had to sign the extradition, which he didn’t. Abbott had told Minnesota he was awaiting a determination from his Secretary of State on whether Castro fit the legal definition of a fugitive, noting he wasn’t sure Castro was a “fugitive” under the law because he was ordered to leave Minnesota by the Department of Homeland Security – he didn’t leave the state to escape prosecution. District Judge Fernando Rodriguez Jr. ruled that Castro was to be released because he can’t be held more than 90 days without extradition. Castro was released from Texas custody last month after hitting a detention limit.
Broader Federal Operations and Unresolved Inquiries
Castro was one of thousands of federal immigration officers deployed to the Midwestern state during Operation Metro Surge, which sparked fierce protests, battled with protesters, and resulted in the deaths of two U.S. citizens at the hands of agents during confrontations. Sosa-Celis was shot one week after Renee Good and 10 days before Alex Pretti. The shooting led to a night of unrest in north Minneapolis, including the raiding of several federal vehicles left at the shooting scene. The agents arrested thousands of people and shot three people during the operation.
It’s the first time the Justice Department has charged an officer for conduct that happened on duty during the immigration operations under the second Trump administration. ProPublica reported on Wednesday that federal prosecutors in Minnesota were weighing civil rights charges against Castro, but the pursuit was quashed by officials in Washington, though one source told CNN that the Justice Department is still considering whether to bring civil rights charges against Castro.
any charging decisions that come out of such investigations are collaborative and deliberative and adhere to the facts and law of that specific case and controversy.
Department of Justice officials
It’s unclear if he is yet in federal custody. Minnesota officials worried he could be a flight risk, citing connections he had with a woman in Mexico.
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