An Immigration and Customs Enforcement officer was released from federal custody after appearing in court on charges of lying to investigators about the circumstances leading to the shooting of a Venezuelan man during the Minnesota immigration crackdown last winter. Christian Castro, 52, was charged with six federal counts of making materially false statements according to an unsealed federal indictment.
Federal Indictment and Arrest in Minnesota Shooting
The case stems from shots fired on Jan. 14 outside a home in Minneapolis during Operation Metro Surge, an immigration blitz that brought thousands of federal agents to the Twin Cities. Castro allegedly shot Julio Cesar Sosa-Celis in the leg after chasing another immigrant, Alfredo Alejandro Aljorna, following a traffic stop.
Following the incident, the Department of Homeland Security initially claimed Castro and another agent were ambushed and beaten with a shovel or broomstick, leading Castro to fire in self-defense. Federal prosecutors initially charged Sosa-Celis and Aljorna with assault, but those charges were dropped the following month after video evidence surfaced. Former acting ICE director Todd Lyons stated that video evidence revealed the sworn testimony of the two agents appeared to be false. Castro was suspended from ICE in February.
Extradition Dispute and Court Appearance
Castro self-surrendered to authorities after being charged by the Justice Department. He appeared in federal court in McAllen, Texas, shackled at his wrists, waist, and feet, and was ordered released by a judge on a $75,000 unsecured bond and with a GPS ankle monitor. Defense attorneys David A. Lindenmuth and Rolando Cantu stated that Castro intends to plead not guilty and is scheduled to next appear in federal court in Minnesota on Sept. 18.
The federal charges followed Castro’s release from jail after Texas Gov. Greg Abbott refused to immediately sign an extradition warrant. Minnesota officials had separately charged Castro with state-level crimes, including four counts of second-degree assault and one count of falsely reporting a crime. Minnesota Attorney General Keith Ellison sued Texas Gov. Greg Abbott to compel extradition, but a federal judge ruled he lacked authority to intervene in interstate extradition disputes.
Defense attorney David Lindenmuth urged the public not to rush to judgment, noting that Castro served in the military and protected borders and enforced laws. Meanwhile, Robin Wolpert, an attorney for Sosa-Celis, pressed for stiffer charges, stating that Castro’s statements were made to cover up shooting through the door of an occupied house without self-defense justification.
Internal Department Fallout Over Civil Rights Charges
The federal prosecution highlights broader tensions, marking the first Justice Department case against a federal officer for actions during Operation Metro Surge. According to ProPublica, assistant U.S. Attorney Matthew Evans told lawyers for victims that leaders at the Department of Justice in Washington, D.C., and U.S. Attorney Daniel Rosen quashed plans to bring a more severe civil rights charge known as deprivation of rights under color of law.
Evans wrote in an email that he objected in the strongest possible terms and fought the decision as hard as he could. Sources familiar with the matter told
