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ICE Officer Christian Castro arrested in Minneapolis for shooting Venezuelan immigrant
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Christian Castro, a 52-year-old Immigration and Customs Enforcement agent, was arrested in Minneapolis on Wednesday and booked in Hennepin County Jail on four second-degree assault charges and one count of false reporting of a crime, with bail set at $200,000. Castro is accused of shooting Julio Cesar Sosa-Celis, a Venezuelan immigrant, in the leg on January 14 during Donald Trump's Operation Metro Surge. Castro claimed self-defense, alleging Sosa-Celis attacked him with a snow shovel, but surveillance footage released in April showed Sosa-Celis discarding the shovel before Castro fired into the home. The case has been marked by legal complications: Castro was initially arrested in Texas in May, but Governor Greg Abbott refused extradition, leading to his release in August. A federal grand jury later indicted Castro on six counts of making false statements, a downgrade from the civil rights violations initially sought by Assistant U.S. Attorney Matthew Evans, who was fired after objecting to the change directed by Washington. Castro voluntarily drove to Minnesota to turn himself in but was arrested by state agents.
Source report
An Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agent who had been wanted in Minnesota for allegedly shooting a Venezuelan immigrant has been arrested by local authorities.
Christian Castro was booked into the Hennepin County Jail on Wednesday. According to jail inmate records, he faces four counts of second-degree assault and one count of false reporting of a crime. He is being held on $200,000 bail.
Castro is scheduled to appear in a downtown Minneapolis courtroom on Thursday at 1:30 p.m. CST. He has not yet entered a plea.
Background of the Case
Castro was among thousands of agents deployed to Minnesota during Donald Trump's Operation Metro Surge. On January 14, Castro allegedly chased Alfredo Alejandro Aljorna, a DoorDash driver, to the entryway of his home. Upon arrival, Castro shot Aljorna's roommate, Julio Cesar Sosa-Celis, in the leg.
Castro initially claimed he acted in self-defense, asserting that Sosa-Celis had attacked him with a snow shovel.
DOJ Reversal and Surveillance Evidence
In a rare reversal, the Department of Justice moved to dismiss charges against Sosa-Celis and Aljorna, leaving Castro to face criminal consequences. Surveillance footage released in April showed Sosa-Celis discarding the shovel early in the encounter, with Castro then firing shots into the home.
Extradition Dispute
Extraditing the 52-year-old federal officer to Minnesota proved challenging:
- Castro was initially arrested in Texas days after a state court issued a nationwide warrant in May.
- Texas Governor Greg Abbott refused to hand Castro over, questioning whether he qualified as a fugitive since he had been transferred to Texas by the Department of Homeland Security, not having fled Minnesota.
- Castro was released from jail in August after the 90-day detention limit expired, and a federal judge declined to intervene.
Federal Indictment and Prosecution Shift
Earlier this month, a federal grand jury indicted Castro on six counts of making false statements related to the shooting. This marked a significant downgrade from the civil rights violations initially pursued by Assistant U.S. Attorney Matthew Evans in Minnesota.
On September 2, Evans informed his staff that Castro would be charged "only with False Statements." The shift carries less severe consequences if convicted but allows the DOJ to proceed without debating whether the shooting was justified.
"This is being directed by the Main Justice and the U.S. Attorney," Evans wrote in an internal email obtained by ProPublica. "I objected in the strongest possible terms and fought it as hard as I could. It wasn't enough."
Evans was fired the following day. Castro turned himself in later that week during an initial court appearance in McAllen, Texas, and was released on bond.
Arrest in Minneapolis
Castro reappeared in Minneapolis this week under an agreement with Minnesota law enforcement, voluntarily driving across state lines to turn himself in. However, state agents arrested him first at approximately 2:15 p.m. on Wednesday in Minneapolis, according to a statement from the department.
Read more: ICE Officer Charged With Lying to Investigators After Shooting Someone
Related: FBI Warns of 'Tradwife' Doxing Targeting ICE Officers
The FBI believes women posing as "tradwives" are targeting ICE officers in an effort to dox them, The Guardian reports.
Source
The New RepublicWestern
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ICE Agent Christian Castro Arrested in Minneapolis for Shooting Venezuelan Immigrant