ICE agent Christian Castro, 52, was booked into Hennepin County Jail on multiple assault charges and one count of falsely reporting a crime related to a Jan. 14 shooting in Minneapolis. Bail was set at $200,000 and he is due in court Thursday. Castro had been detained in Texas for roughly three months while Minnesota sought his extradition; a federal judge ordered his release after 90 days and Texas Gov. Greg Abbott declined to sign extradition papers, prompting a lawsuit by Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz. Federal prosecutors have since indicted Castro, a development reported as the first DOJ charge linked to that immigration operation.
ICE Agent Christian Castro Booked In Minnesota After Release From Texas; Faces Assault Charges Over January Shooting
Tens of thousands of people march through downtown Minneapolis in January. An ICE officer who shot an immigrant in the leg is in custody in Minneapolis. File Photo by Craig Lassig/UPI
An Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agent, Christian Castro, 52, is in custody in Minnesota on state charges related to a January shooting in Minneapolis.
Charges And Booking
Castro was booked into the Hennepin County Jail at about 4 p.m. CDT Wednesday. He faces four counts of second-degree assault with a dangerous weapon and one count of falsely reporting a crime. Bail was set at $200,000, and he is scheduled to appear in court on Thursday. He has not yet entered a plea.
How The Arrest Unfolded
According to reporting, Castro drove to Minneapolis intending to turn himself in, but law enforcement arrested him before he could formally surrender. Castro had previously been detained in Cameron County, Texas, for roughly three months while Minnesota sought his extradition on the state charges.
Background Of The Incident
The allegations stem from a Jan. 14 incident during a large federal immigration enforcement operation in Minnesota. That crackdown resulted in thousands of arrests, clashes with protesters and multiple shootings. Three people were shot during the operation, including U.S. citizens Renee Good and Alex Pretti, both of whom later died. The shooting that wounded Julio C. Sosa-Celis occurred after a vehicle chase and a foot pursuit; Sosa-Celis, a Venezuelan national, was struck in the thigh and taken to a hospital.
Investigations And Conflicting Accounts
The Department of Homeland Security initially described an officer’s shot as a “defensive shot” fired after an alleged attack by three men armed with a snow shovel and a broom handle. After reviewing video evidence, DHS officials said they were investigating what they called “untruthful statements” by officers involved in the incident.
Charges against Sosa-Celis and his roommate, Alfredo Aljorna, were dismissed on Feb. 13. Both men were living in Minnesota legally under Temporary Protected Status at the time.
Extradition Dispute And Federal Indictment
Minnesota sought Castro’s extradition after filing state charges, but he remained in Texas custody until a federal judge ordered his release on Aug. 27, citing a 90-day limit on detention without formal extradition. Because Castro did not agree to leave Texas voluntarily, Minnesota needed Texas Gov. Greg Abbott’s signature to complete the extradition; Abbott declined to sign. That refusal prompted Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz to file suit against Abbott.
Separately, federal prosecutors have since indicted Castro — a move reported as the first time the Justice Department charged an officer for conduct alleged to have occurred while on duty during the January immigration operation.
The case remains active. Additional legal proceedings and investigations are expected to continue as both state and federal authorities pursue charges.
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