ICE agent charged in Minneapolis shooting arrested in Texas

MINNEAPOLIS (CN) — An Immigration and Customs Enforcement officer accused of shooting a Venezuelan immigrant and making false statements about it in court was arrested in Texas Friday.

The agent, 52-year-old Christian Castro, was taken into custody by Department of Homeland Security agents, Texas Rangers and investigators from the Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension, according to the Hennepin County Attorney’s Office.

“Today’s arrest is a critical step forward in our prosecution of Mr. Castro,” Hennepin County Attorney Mary Moriarty said in a news release. “The BCA’s investigative work was instrumental in this process and we’re grateful for their collaboration as we pursue accountability for this incident on behalf of Mr. Sosa-Celis, his family and our community.”

Last week, Minnesota state prosecutors charged Castro with four counts of second-degree assault and one count of falsely reporting a crime in connection with a nonfatal shooting on Jan. 14, when they say Castro shot Julio Sosa-Celis, a Venezuelan immigrant, in the leg during an attempted immigration arrest.

Moriarty said Castro shot through the front door of a house with the “intent to cause fear of immediate bodily harm or death” to the four adults on the other side of the door, including Sosa-Celis.

While initial reports from Homeland Security said Sosa-Celis and his cousin Alfredo Aljorna attacked the ICE officer with a snow shovel and broom, video footage obtained by federal prosecutors and later released by the city of Minneapolis shows no clear evidence of a shovel attack at the time Castro fired his gun.

The newfound footage forced the Justice Department to drop short-lived federal charges against the two men in February, initially brought based on Castro’s and another agent’s accounts.

Minnesota Attorney General Keith Ellison praised the Texas arrest Friday, saying the ICE agent must stand trial.

“Christian Castro’s alleged shooting of Julio Sosa-Celis appears unwarranted, as evidenced by the lies Castro told his ICE supervisors to justify his unlawful actions,” Ellison said in a news release.

An ICE spokesperson told Courthouse News in April the two officers involved in the attempted immigration arrest were placed on administrative leave pending an investigation after being found likely to have lied under oath in court about the incident.

Moriarty previously noted Sosa-Celis and Aljorna were in Minnesota legally at the time of the shooting and were victims of mistaken identity.

Castro’s case marks the second instance of criminal charges being brought against ICE agents in Minnesota. In April, agent Gregory Donnell Morgan Jr. was charged with assault over reportedly pointing a gun at the heads of two people on the highway.

Morgan made his initial court appearance last week after returning to Minnesota and posting $100,000 bond.

Minnesota faces an uphill battle in its pursuit of criminal, state legal action against federal officers, as the supremacy clause of the Constitution gives federal agents broad immunity from such prosecution.

Still, officials appear confident they can hold ICE agents accountable at the state level. Moriarty’s office released a video last week explaining the steps required to prosecute a federal agent.

“In Minnesota, we believe in equal justice under the law,” Ellison said in a news release. “That means nobody is above the law, including agents of the federal government.”

The Hennepin County Attorney’s Office noted there will likely be an attempt to remove the case to federal court given the parties involved, but clarified it would still be prosecuted by state attorneys, under Minnesota statute — meaning any conviction would be ineligible for a presidential pardon.

Sosa-Celis was one of three people in Minneapolis shot by federal agents during the immigration crackdown earlier this year. The other two, Renee Good and Alex Pretti, were shot and killed by ICE officers.

Minnesota is seeking evidence in all three shootings as part of a March lawsuit.

A Homeland Security spokesperson told Courthouse News in an email “these actions by Minnesota sanctuary politicians are unlawful and nothing more than a political stunt,” adding the issue must be handled at the federal level.

The department did note lying under oath is a serious offense, and the U.S. Attorney’s Office is actively investigating statements made by the ICE officers involved, who may face termination of employment and criminal prosecution.

“The men and women of ICE are entrusted with upholding the rule of law and are held to the highest standards of professionalism, integrity, and ethical conduct. Violations of this sacred sworn oath will not be tolerated," the DHS spokesperson said in an email.