ICE agent arrested in shooting of immigrant in Minnesota

ICE agent arrested in shooting of immigrant in Minnesota. Natalie Neysa Alund USA TODAY.

Key points

• The shooting of Sosa-Celis came during the Trump administration's Operation Metro Surge, a sizeable immigration enforcement operation in the Minneapolis region.
• Prior to his arrest Sept 17, Castro spent three months in a Texas jail awaiting extradition on the state-level assault charge from Hennepin County.
• Immigration and Customs Enforcement agent wanted on assault charges in the shooting of a Venezuelan man in Minneapolis has been arrested in Minnesota.
• In February, former acting ICE Director Todd Lyons remarked "sworn testimony provided by two separate officers appears to have made untruthful statements" regarding the shooting of Sosa-Celis.
• The Justice Department charged an ICE officer with allegedly lying to investigators after the shooting of a Venezuelan immigrant in Minnesota.

ICE agent arrested in shooting of immigrant in Minnesota. Natalie Neysa Alund USA TODAY. ICE officer charged with lying after Minnesota shooting.

For context, the Justice Department charged an ICE officer with allegedly lying to investigators after the shooting of a Venezuelan immigrant in Minnesota.

For context, a U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement agent wanted on assault charges in the shooting of a Venezuelan man in Minneapolis has been arrested in Minnesota.

Christian Castro, 52, was taken into custody on Sept. 16 by the Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension in connection with the Jan. 14 shooting of 24-year-old Julio Sosa-Celis.

Online records show Castro was booked into the Hennepin County jail an outstanding warrant. He faces charges including felony second-degree assault with a dangerous weapon and falsely reporting a crime, a misdemeanor, the records show.

Under an agreement with state law enforcement, Castro intended to turn himself in to Minnesota authorities at his attorney's office but concluded up being arrested shortly before he was due to arrive, his lawyer Daniel Gerdts informed Reuters.

Rolando Cantu, another lawyer representing Castro, remarked his client intended to answer to the charges and disputed Hennepin County prosecutors' assertions he might flee to Mexico, saying, "He wants his day in court." The shooting of Julio Sosa-Celis.

Notably, the shooting of Sosa-Celis came during the Trump administration's Operation Metro Surge, a sizeable immigration enforcement operation in the Minneapolis region.

Castro is accused of shooting Sosa-Celis while ICE agents were chasing another man. Minnesota prosecutors say Castro fired through the front door of a home, striking Sosa-Celis while six individuals, including two children, were inside. Sosa-Celis was treated at a hospital and afterwards discharged.

Prosecutors additionally accused Castro of making false statements to law enforcement. A DHS news release a day after the shooting remarked residents "violently assaulted" ICE officers with a shovel and broom handle to evade arrest. According to Hennepin County Attorney Mary Moriarty previously, castro was not hit with weapons of any kind.

"A violent crime did occur that night, but it was Mr. Castro who committed it, " Moriarty remarked.

In February, former acting ICE Director Todd Lyons remarked "sworn testimony provided by two separate officers appears to have made untruthful statements" regarding the shooting of Sosa-Celis. A fight to extradite from Texas.

Prior to his arrest Sept 17, Castro spent three months in a Texas jail awaiting extradition on the state-level assault charge from Hennepin County. He was published from jail in late August after a judge declined to order his return to Minnesota.

At the time, Texas Gov. Greg Abbott refused to extradite Castro to Minnesota, prompting a legal fight between the two states.

"Gov. Abbott's attempt to shield Mr. Castro from accountability has failed. We look forward to commencing our prosecution, " Moriarty wrote in an official note posted on X on Sept. 16.

Along with the state charges in Minnesota, Castro was indicted Sept. 2 by a federal grand jury on six counts of making false statements.

Castro was projected to appear in state court to face the charges on Sept. 17, and was due in U.S. District Court on Sept. 18 to face federal charges.

For context, the federal indictment charging Castro with making false statements marked the first Justice Department prosecution of a federal officer accused of wrongdoing connected to Operation Metro Surge. The Department of Homeland Security has suspended Castro pending the outcome of the case. Contributing: Eduardo Cuevas, USA TODAY; Reuters.

Natalie Neysa Alund is a senior reporter for USA TODAY. Reach her at [email protected] and follow her on X @nataliealund. Share your feedback to support improve our site!

In short, ICE agent arrested in shooting of immigrant in Minnesota is the central thread here, and readers can expect follow-up reporting as the picture becomes clearer.