ICE agent Christian Castro indicted for lying about Minnesota shooting

The Department of Homeland Security initially described the shooting of a Venezuelan migrant in Minnesota as a "defensive shot" fired after agents were attacked with a broom handle and a snow shovel. However, surveillance video later released by the city of Minneapolis showed the target dropping the shovel and running inside a home before an agent fired through a closed door, according to reports from Yahoo News and foxnews.com.

Christian Castro, a U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agent, now faces a six-count federal indictment for lying to investigators about that encounter, as reported by UPI and The Guardian. While federal prosecutors have charged Castro with making false statements, he remains free following a legal deadlock between Minnesota and Texas that has blocked his extradition to face state assault charges, according to foxnews.com.

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The incident occurred on January 14 during "Operation Metro Surge," a crackdown in the Twin Cities that began in early December 2025, as reported by yahoo.com. The operation deployed thousands of federal agents to arrest immigrants at grocery stores, bus stops, and churches, sparking fierce protests. Julio Cesar Sosa-Celis, a Venezuelan migrant, was shot in the leg during a January 14 encounter that began with a car chase and foot pursuit, according to Upi.

Minnesota investigators allege Castro fired through the front door of a home, knowing people had just run inside, as reported by The Guardian. The bullet struck Sosa-Celis in the leg and ended its trajectory in the wall of a child's room. Federal authorities originally accused Sosa-Celis and another man, Alfredo Alejandro Aljorna, of attacking officers; then-Secretary of Homeland Security Kristi Noem described the event as "an attempted murder of federal law enforcement," according to foxnews.com. Those charges were eventually dismissed after prosecutors cited "newly discovered evidence" that was materially inconsistent with testimony.

According to UPI and The Guardian, officials in Washington blocked federal prosecutors from pursuing civil rights charges against Castro. Castro's physical custody has become a point of political contention between Minnesota Attorney General Keith Ellison and Texas Governor Greg Abbott, as reported by foxnews.com.

Castro was arrested in Texas in May and detained for three months, according to UPI. Under Texas law, Castro could not be held for more than 90 days without extradition. Governor Greg Abbott refused to sign the extradition warrant, stating he had "serious doubts" that Castro legally qualified as a fugitive. Minnesota Attorney General Keith Ellison attempted to block the release via a temporary restraining order, but the request was unsuccessful, as reported by foxnews.com.

Robin Wolpert, the attorney for Sosa-Celis, stated that the federal government has "grossly undercharged this case," arguing that the false statements were made to cover up a shooting conducted without self-defense justification, according to The Guardian. The indictment of Christian Castro, a U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agent, for lying about the shooting of a Venezuelan migrant in Minnesota, is a notable development in the case, as reported by UPI and The Guardian.

Castro's case is a rare example of the Justice Department accusing a federal agent of any criminal wrongdoing while on the job, according to The Guardian. The Trump administration launched what it called “Operation Metro Surge” in the Twin Cities in early December 2025. The operation sent thousands of federal agents to arrest immigrants at bus stops, grocery stores, and churches, leading to ongoing protests and countless clashes between demonstrators and immigration enforcement officers, as reported by The Guardian. Sosa-Celis was one of three people shot by federal immigration agents during the administration’s operations in Minnesota. Two US citizens, Renee Good and Alex Pretti, were shot and killed by agents during the crackdown, according to The Guardian.