An Associated Press source, cited by The Center Square, says federal prosecutors are charging Immigration and Customs Enforcement agent Christian Castro with making false statements in connection with a January 14 shooting during Operation Metro Surge in Minneapolis. It is unknown if Castro is in federal custody, The Center Square reported.
The shooting at a Minneapolis duplex
The Center Square reports that Castro also faces Minnesota state charges stemming from the Jan. 14 incident in north Minneapolis involving Julio Cesar Sosa-Celis. According to prosecutors, Castro fired through the front door of a duplex while standing outside and not under physical threat. The Hennepin County Attorney’s Office said the bullet struck Sosa-Celis in the leg and then lodged in the wall of a child’s bedroom.
State charges against Castro include four felony counts of second-degree assault and one count of falsely reporting a crime, according to The Center Square’s report.
ICE called the state case a ‘political stunt’—while noting a federal probe
When Minnesota announced the state charges in May, federal immigration officials called the prosecution a “political stunt,” The Center Square reported. An ICE spokesperson told The Center Square, “These actions by Minnesota sanctuary politicians are unlawful and nothing more than a political stunt.”
In the same interview, the spokesperson said the U.S. Attorney’s Office was already “actively” investigating statements made under oath connected to the case. “Lying under oath is a serious federal offense,” the spokesperson said. “Upon conclusion of the investigation, the officers may face disciplinary action, including termination of employment, as well as potential criminal prosecution.”
Texas–Minnesota standoff over extradition
The Center Square reports that Castro was suspended without pay last week after being released from a Texas prison, where he had been held since May on a warrant for the Minnesota charges. He was released after Texas’ 90-day limit for extradition cases expired following Texas Gov. Greg Abbott’s refusal to sign an extradition warrant sending Castro to Minnesota, according to the outlet.
Minnesota Attorney General Keith Ellison sued Abbott last week to compel his signature. Abbott responded on social media, “You guys are such bad lawyers,” and added, “Minn. is the literal definition of a sanctuary state because you refuse to assist in enforcing immigration laws.”
A federal district court denied Minnesota’s request for emergency relief to force Abbott to sign the warrant and keep Castro in custody until he did so, The Center Square reported. Ellison said, “This is not politics – this is not a game. There are traumatized victims in Minnesota awaiting accountability and justice. But Greg Abbott is playing the political game of turning Texas into a sanctuary state for accused felons and violent criminals. I will never stop pursuing Castro wherever he may be to make him face justice in Minnesota.”
