ICE agent Christian Castro pleaded not guilty to six federal counts alleging he lied to the FBI about a Jan. 14 Minneapolis shooting. Prosecutors say Castro, deployed during Operation Metro Surge, fired through a home door and wounded a resident. DHS initially called the shooting defensive, but investigators later concluded the men had dropped alleged weapons and fled. Castro also faces state assault and false-reporting charges; bail was set at $200,000 with an ankle monitor and a firearms prohibition.
ICE Agent Pleads Not Guilty to Lying to FBI After Minneapolis Shooting
Tens of thousands of people march through downtown Minneapolis in January as they protest the federal government's immigration enforcement surge in Minneapolis. File Photo by Craig Lassig/UPI
Sept. 18 (UPI) — An Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agent entered a not guilty plea Friday to federal charges that he lied to FBI investigators about a Jan. 14 shooting in Minneapolis.
Christian Castro, 52, was indicted earlier this month on six counts of making false statements to the FBI. Federal prosecutors allege Castro shot at an unarmed man during a pursuit while deployed to Minneapolis as part of Operation Metro Surge.
Authorities say Castro mistakenly followed Alfredo Aljorna while seeking a different person and fired through the front door of Aljorna's home, also striking Aljorna's roommate, Julio Cesar Sosa-Celis, in the leg. Both men were reportedly in the United States on temporary protected status.
Department of Homeland Security officials initially described the incident as a defensive shot, saying the men had attacked Castro with a snow shovel and a broom. Subsequent investigative review concluded the two men had dropped those objects and fled the scene before Castro fired, according to prosecutors.
In addition to the federal indictment, Castro faces state charges including assault and falsely reporting a crime. On Thursday, Hennepin County District Judge Paul Scoggin set bail at $200,000 on the state counts, ordered Castro to wear an ankle monitor and prohibited him from possessing firearms while the state case proceeds.
Castro was also at the center of an extradition dispute between Minnesota and Texas after an attempt to transfer him stalled while he was held in a Texas jail for about 90 days. His defense attorney, Michael Wynn, said Castro voluntarily returned to Minneapolis to surrender and has been released on bond.
Michael Wynn, defense attorney: 'Mr. Castro voluntarily went to Minneapolis to surrender himself, both in state court and in federal court, and he's been released on bond. We look forward to litigating these matters and presenting our case in court to exonerate him.'
The case comes amid scrutiny of Operation Metro Surge, which led to thousands of arrests across the Twin Cities and was associated with two fatal on-scene shootings. The federal indictment has drawn attention from civil rights advocates and government officials monitoring law enforcement conduct during the operation.
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