ICE officer charged federally for false statements about shooting of Venezuelan immigrant
ICE agent Christian Castro faces federal charges for making false statements about a 2024 shooting of a Venezuelan immigrant, alongside existing Minnesota assault and false-report charges.
An Immigration and Customs Enforcement officer, Christian Castro, has been indicted on multiple federal counts of making false statements regarding a March shooting of a Venezuelan immigrant in Minnesota. The indictment details have not been released, but sources familiar with the case said the charges relate to lying about the incident’s circumstances.
The federal case marks the first time the Justice Department has charged an ICE officer for conduct that occurred during a high-profile immigration operation. Castro already faces state charges in Minnesota for second-degree assault and filing a false report, to which he pleaded not guilty.
Prosecutors in Minnesota allege Castro shot 24-year-old Julio Cesar Sosa-Celis in the back of the leg through the door of Sosa-Celis’ apartment after a traffic stop involving an undocumented driver. Sosa-Celis told reporters he was shot while locking the door.
Federal investigators later determined that the original charges against Sosa-Celis and another suspect were unsupported, leading to their dismissal. The Justice Department is also reviewing whether civil-rights violations apply to Castro’s actions.
Castro was released from a Texas jail after the governor declined to approve his extradition to Minnesota. A lawyer for Castro has not responded to requests for comment.