A U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) officer, Christian Castro, was ordered released from federal custody on September 4, 2026, after pleading not guilty to charges of lying to investigators regarding the shooting of a Venezuelan man, Julio Cesar Sosa-Celis, during an immigration operation in Minnesota last winter. Castro is accused of falsely claiming that he was attacked with a broom and a shovel before he opened fire, injuring Sosa-Celis in January.
During a brief hearing in federal court in McAllen, Texas, Castro was shackled and turned himself into authorities the previous evening. The judge set his release on a $75,000 unsecured bond and mandated that he wear a GPS ankle monitor. This case marks the first prosecution by the Justice Department of a federal officer for actions taken during Operation Metro Surge, which involved thousands of agents in the Twin Cities and resulted in significant protests, arrests, and the fatal shootings of two U.S. citizens by federal officers.
The federal indictment mirrors charges brought by Minnesota officials, who have also charged Castro with assault and false reporting related to the shooting. According to the indictment, Castro told an FBI agent that he was struck by a broom while attempting to detain another individual outside a Minneapolis residence. He also claimed that he was hit with a snow shovel and fired his weapon while on the ground as the men fled. However, the indictment states that no one struck Castro with a broom or shovel as he described.
An attorney representing Castro, David Lindenmuth, emphasized the importance of allowing his client to have a fair trial and not to rush to judgment. Castro, a military veteran, has been suspended from ICE since February while the investigation was ongoing.
Initially, federal prosecutors charged Sosa-Celis and another individual, Alfredo Alejandro Aljorna, with assault, but those charges were dropped after video evidence suggested that Castro may have misrepresented the events. The federal investigation has reportedly caused internal conflict within the Justice Department, with a prosecutor alleging that higher authorities obstructed efforts to pursue more serious civil rights charges against Castro.
The prosecutor, Matthew Evans, has since been dismissed, and the Justice Department is investigating whether he violated any laws in his handling of the case. Sosa-Celis' attorney is advocating for more severe charges against Castro, asserting that Castro's statements were made to conceal the fact that he shot Sosa-Celis without justification. The American Civil Liberties Union of Minnesota has indicated that Sosa-Celis intends to seek damages from the federal government.