ICE Officer Charged With Lying Over Minnesota Shooting Turns Himself In to Feds
An Immigration and Customs Enforcement officer charged with making false statements regarding the shooting of a Venezuelan man in Minnesota surrendered to federal authorities, according to a source familiar with the matter. The federal indictment against Christian Castro marks an extraordinary turn in accountability during a high-profile deportation surge.
Federal prosecutors in the United States charged Christian Castro with six counts of lying to investigators. The charges stem from the January 14 incident where Castro fired his weapon through the closed door of an occupied Minnesota home, striking 24-year-old Julio Cesar Sosa-Celis in the leg.
Inside the Minneapolis Operation and the Disproven Claims
The shooting took place at the height of a deportation campaign in Minnesota, which drew weeks of local protests. Castro and a fellow agent chased Alfredo Aljorna, another Venezuelan national, following a traffic stop. Aljorna fled to a shared home, and after a brief scramble, ran inside alongside Sosa-Celis.
Castro subsequently fired through the closed door, knowing the house was occupied by several people, including children. In the immediate aftermath, Castro told investigators that Sosa-Celis and others had attacked him with a snow shovel and a broom. However, surveillance video evidence directly contradicted the agent’s account, showing no such attack occurred. Todd Lyons, then acting head of ICE, acknowledged at the time that the footage revealed sworn testimony by officers containing untruthful statements.
Interstate Extradition Standoff and Release From Texas Jail
Before facing federal scrutiny, Castro spent 90 days in a Texas county jail under an active Minnesota state arrest warrant for charges including assault with a dangerous weapon and falsely reporting a crime. The interstate standoff resolved last week when Texas Governor Greg Abbott refused to sign extradition papers sent by Minnesota Governor Tim Walz. Under Texas law, authorities cannot hold the subject of an extradition order for longer than 90 days, leading to Castro’s release.
The Department of Homeland Security subsequently suspended Castro. Robin Wolpert, a lawyer for Sosa-Celis, stated that her client wants Castro held fully accountable with stronger civil rights charges. “Mr. Castro has been indicted for making false statements,” Wolpert said. “But he made them to cover up the fact that he shot my client through the door of an occupied house without a self-defense justification.” Additionally, the American Civil Liberties Union of Minnesota announced it will represent Sosa-Celis as he sues the Trump administration.
Internal Justice Department Turbulence and Ongoing Investigations
The federal prosecution represents a rare maneuver by a Justice Department that has largely refrained from alleging criminal wrongdoing by federal immigration officers during enforcement operations. Reporting by ProPublica revealed that federal prosecutor Matt Evans was fired this week after sending an email to Sosa-Celis’ lawyers stating that DOJ attorneys had blocked efforts to bring more serious civil rights charges, such as deprivation of rights under color of law. According to sources familiar with the matter, Evans is now under investigation for obstruction of a grand jury investigation.
Despite the internal friction, the source familiar with the case confirmed that the broader civil rights investigation remains active, leaving the door open for additional charges. As federal proceedings advance and the indictment is unsealed following Castro’s surrender, the case continues to test the boundaries of federal immunity claims and accountability within modern immigration enforcement operations.
