ICE officer indicted on federal false-statement charges over Minneapolis shooting
A U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement officer already facing state charges over the shooting of a Venezuelan immigrant in Minnesota has been indicted by a federal grand jury on allegations that he lied to investigators about the encounter.
Christian Castro was indicted Sept. 2 on six counts of making false statements in connection with the Jan. 14 shooting of 24-year-old Julio Cesar Sosa-Celis in Minneapolis, according to CBS News. The indictment remained under seal Sept. 3, and law enforcement authorities were still attempting to locate Castro, the outlet reported.
Minnesota prosecutors have accused Castro of firing through the front door of a Minneapolis home and wounding Sosa-Celis while six people, including two children, were inside. Authorities said the bullet was later found in a wall of a child's bedroom. Castro also faces state charges accusing him of assaulting Sosa-Celis and falsely reporting a crime.
The shooting happened during Operation Metro Surge, the large-scale immigration enforcement operation in Minnesota's Twin Cities region carried out under the Trump administration. In the days afterward, the Department of Homeland Security said Castro fired in self-defense after Sosa-Celis and another man attacked him with a broomstick and shovel while trying to avoid arrest. Then-Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem described the confrontation as an attempted murder of a federal law enforcement officer.
That account began to unravel as investigators reviewed court filings and video evidence, CBS News reported. An FBI affidavit identified another man, Alfredo Alejandro Aljorna, as the person officers initially had pursued. Cellphone video later obtained by news organizations also appeared to conflict with Castro's description. Federal prosecutors eventually dismissed assault charges against Sosa-Celis and Aljorna, saying newly discovered evidence was materially inconsistent with the original allegations.
The case has also created an interstate standoff. Texas Gov. Greg Abbott has refused to extradite Castro to Minnesota, and a Texas judge declined last week to order his return. Castro was released from a Texas jail as the legal fight between the two states continues.
Within ICE, the shooting already had prompted an unusual public acknowledgment from then-acting Director Todd Lyons, who said in February that video evidence appeared to contradict sworn testimony from Castro and another officer. "Video evidence has revealed that sworn testimony provided by two separate officers appears to have made untruthful statements," Lyons said. Both officers were placed on administrative leave at that time, and Castro was later suspended without pay.
The federal case is likely to deepen scrutiny of the shooting and the initial official explanation, while giving Minnesota prosecutors another legal front as the extradition fight with Texas moves forward.