A federal immigration enforcement officer has been captured in Texas after being wanted for shooting a Venezuelan man during immigration operations in Minneapolis, officials announced.
Christian Castro, who works for the Immigration and Customs Enforcement agency, was taken into custody on Friday, nearly two weeks after Minneapolis prosecutors filed assault and false reporting charges against him for the January 14 nonfatal shooting of Julio Cesar Sosa-Celis.
Minnesota’s Hennepin County prosecutors reported that the state’s Bureau of Criminal Apprehension tracked down Castro, 52, in Texas and coordinated with Department of Homeland Security Inspector General agents and Texas Rangers for his arrest.
“Today’s arrest is a critical step forward in our prosecution of Mr. Castro,” stated Hennepin County Attorney Mary Moriarty.
Court records show no attorney listed for Castro, and it remains unclear whether he has legal representation. Requests for comment were sent to ICE, the Homeland Security Inspector General’s Office and the Texas Rangers.
Castro becomes the second federal agent facing charges related to their actions during the Minnesota enforcement operation, called Operation Metro Surge. ICE Director Todd Lyons has identified him as one of two agents who provided false information about what transpired during the incident.
Prosecutors allege Castro discharged his weapon through the front door of a residence, striking Sosa-Celis in the thigh after Castro and a colleague pursued a different individual, Alfredo Alejandro Aljorna, to the Minneapolis duplex where both men resided. Both Sosa-Celis and Aljorna had legal status in the United States, according to Moriarty.
Federal officials originally claimed Sosa-Celis and Aljorna attacked an officer using a broom handle and snow shovel. Those charges were later thrown out by a federal judge, prompting ICE and the Justice Department to investigate potential officer misconduct.
Following the announcement of charges, ICE released a statement saying federal prosecutors were examining officer statements and that personnel could face consequences including termination and criminal prosecution. ICE characterized the Hennepin County attorney’s actions as “unlawful and nothing more than a political stunt.” The DHS Inspector General’s Office, which Moriarty acknowledged for helping with the arrest, operates independently from ICE as an oversight body for DHS agencies.
Minneapolis authorities released surveillance footage last month showing the moments leading up to Sosa-Celis’s shooting, recorded by a municipal security camera from a distance.
The footage appears to capture someone holding a snow shovel outside the residence near the street, then moving back toward the house and throwing the shovel into the yard. This occurs as someone being pursued runs up from the street, falls on the sidewalk, gets back up, and continues toward the house.
The three individuals appear to struggle near the front steps for approximately 10 seconds. The precise moment of the shooting is not visible. A vehicle with emergency lights arrives, and another person approaches the scene.
The previous administration deployed thousands of officers to the Minneapolis and St. Paul region as part of President Donald Trump’s nationwide deportation initiative, viewing Operation Metro Surge as successful.
However, the extended operation created growing tensions, and the fatal shootings of U.S. citizens Renee Good and Alex Pretti by federal officers led to widespread civil unrest and scrutiny of officer behavior.
Minnesota officials and the previous administration have disagreed over jurisdiction to investigate and prosecute federal officers for actions taken while on duty.
Moriarty’s office filed assault charges last month against immigration agent Gregory Donnell Morgan Jr. for allegedly pointing his weapon at occupants of a vehicle on a highway. He surrendered to authorities last week while his attorney contests the charges.
The county is also examining Good’s and Pretti’s deaths and filed a lawsuit against the previous administration in March seeking access to evidence from those cases and the Sosa-Celis shooting.
