ICE Agent Federally Charged for False Statements in Minneapolis Shooting

Federal prosecutors charged an ICE officer with lying about a January shooting in Minneapolis where he shot a Venezuelan man. It marks the first federal charge tied to Operation Metro Surge.

ICE Agent Faces Federal Charge Over False Statements in Minneapolis Shooting

Federal prosecutors have charged a U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement officer with making false statements to investigators about the events that preceded a January shooting in Minneapolis, according to Courthouse News Service. The charge marks the first known instance of the Justice Department prosecuting a federal agent for conduct during Operation Metro Surge.

The indictment against 52-year-old Christian Castro remained sealed as of Thursday. It came one week after Castro was released from a Brownsville, Texas jail, following a decision by U.S. District Judge Fernando Rodriguez Jr. — a Donald Trump appointee — to decline Minnesota's extradition request. Reports indicate the indictment will be unsealed once Castro is back in custody.

Shooting and state charges

On January 14, Castro fired his service weapon through the front door of an occupied home in North Minneapolis during an attempted immigration arrest, striking Venezuelan national Julio Sosa-Celis in the leg. A bullet also lodged in a child's bedroom wall. Minnesota prosecutors charged Castro in May with four counts of assault and one count of falsely reporting a crime.

The Department of Homeland Security and Castro initially claimed that Sosa-Celis and another man, Alfredo Aljorna, had attacked an ICE officer with a broom handle and a snow shovel before the shooting. Surveillance video later released by the city contradicted that account.

The Justice Department had originally filed federal charges against Sosa-Celis and Aljorna, but dropped them in February after "newly discovered evidence" refuted what was contained in a sworn affidavit. Minnesota officials stated that both men were "lawfully" in the state at the time and were victims of a mistaken identity incident.

Extradition dispute between Minnesota and Texas

Texas Rangers arrested Castro in May on the Minnesota charges. Minnesota sought extradition, but Texas Governor Greg Abbott resisted. In a July 31 letter, Abbott wrote that he had "serious doubts that the prerequisites for extradition have been met," and later praised the judge's decision to deny Minnesota's request.

Abbott's press secretary, Andrew Mahaleris, told Courthouse News: "The court was right to reject Governor Walz's absurd claim. The Constitution requires deliberate consideration of extradition requests and tasks Governor Abbott to 'decide, upon such evidence as he may deem satisfactory' whether 'the person demanded is a fugitive.' Today's order rebuffs Minnesota's efforts to conscript federal courts into commandeering the authority of Governor Abbott's office."

Minnesota Attorney General Keith Ellison responded by accusing Abbott of turning Texas into a sanctuary state for violent criminals, reiterating that Castro will ultimately face judgment in Minnesota. State officials have also expressed concern that Castro may flee to Mexico following his release.

ICE told Courthouse News in April that both officers involved in the January incident had been placed on administrative leave without pay pending an investigation into the potentially false statements, noting that lying under oath constitutes a serious federal offense.

Second ICE agent also charged in Minnesota

Castro is the second ICE agent charged by Minnesota for conduct during Operation Metro Surge. In April, state prosecutors charged ICE agent Gregory Donnell Morgan Jr. with second-degree assault for pointing a gun at the heads of two civilians in a vehicle while driving illegally on the shoulder of a highway. Morgan Jr. has not yet made a court appearance.

The Justice Department did not respond to a request for comment on the specifics of Castro's federal charge.

Source: Courthouse News Service