A Minnesota county prosecutor filed criminal charges Monday against a federal immigration officer who shot a Venezuelan man during an immigration enforcement operation earlier this year.
Christian Castro, an Immigration and Customs Enforcement officer, faces four counts of second-degree assault and one count of filing a false crime report in connection with the January 14 shooting of Julio Cesar Sosa-Celis, according to Hennepin County Attorney Mary Moriarty, who announced the charges during a press conference. Authorities have issued an arrest warrant for Castro.
The shooting occurred after Castro and another federal officer pursued a different individual to an apartment duplex shared by that person and Sosa-Celis. During the incident, the federal officer shot Sosa-Celis in the leg, Moriarty said. She noted that both Sosa-Celis and the other resident were in the United States legally.
Initially, federal authorities claimed that Sosa-Celis and Alfredo Alejandro Aljorna had attacked an officer using a broom handle and snow shovel during the confrontation. However, a federal judge subsequently dropped those charges, and federal officials launched an inquiry into whether the two immigration officers provided false testimony under oath regarding the events.
Neither the Department of Homeland Security nor Justice Department officials responded immediately to requests for comment. DHS has previously stated that providing false testimony under oath constitutes a “serious federal offense” and that dishonest statements could lead to termination or criminal prosecution of officers.
Last month, Minneapolis officials made public surveillance footage of the incident, which was recorded from a distance by a municipal security camera.
The federal government deployed thousands of officers to the Minneapolis and St. Paul region as part of President Donald Trump’s nationwide deportation initiative. The Department of Homeland Security, ICE’s parent agency, labeled Operation Metro Surge as its most extensive immigration enforcement effort to date and declared it successful.
However, the multi-week operation generated significant tensions, and the fatal shootings of U.S. citizens Renee Good and Alex Pretti by federal officers sparked widespread protests and raised concerns about officer behavior.
Hennepin County, which encompasses Minneapolis, has been examining several incidents from the operation and brought charges last month against another ICE agent for alleged misconduct while performing official duties.
Minnesota officials and the Trump administration have disagreed over which government level has authority to investigate and prosecute officers for actions taken during official operations. The Trump administration has questioned whether Minnesota officials possess proper jurisdiction.
State authorities have expressed distrust in the federal government’s ability to investigate its own personnel or ensure accountability.
Hennepin County is still investigating the deaths of Good and Pretti and filed a lawsuit against the administration in March seeking access to evidence in those cases and the Sosa-Celis matter. While Moriarty has not brought charges in either death, she has expressed confidence that her office’s investigations will provide transparency, regardless of whether criminal charges result.
