ICE Agent Arrested in Connection with Shooting Incident in Minnesota

An Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agent has been arrested in Texas following accusations from Minnesota prosecutors regarding the shooting of a Venezuelan immigrant, Julio Sosa-Celis, during an attempted immigration arrest on January 14. The agent, identified as Castro, faces charges of second-degree assault and falsely reporting a crime. The arrest was made by the Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension in collaboration with Texas law enforcement. The incident occurred during 'Operation Metro Surge,' a Department of Homeland Security immigration enforcement operation. Sosa-Celis was shot in the leg, and the Hennepin County Attorney's Office stated that both he and another man involved were in Minnesota lawfully and that the shooting was a case of mistaken identity. Initial claims by DHS suggested that Sosa-Celis and another individual had attacked the officer, but those charges were later dismissed due to inconsistencies in the evidence. Video evidence released contradicted the agency's account, leading to an investigation into the conduct of the officers involved. Castro is the second federal agent charged in relation to this operation, following another agent charged with felony assault in April.