Feds charge ICE officer with lying about January Minneapolis shooting

Sep 04, 2026 at 07:30 AM CDT

Jason K. Morrell

ICE officer Christian Castro is accused of lying to federal investigators about a shooting in Minneapolis in January. — Image credit: AP Photo/Michael Gonzalez

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For the first time, a federal immigration officer is facing charges from the Trump administration over his actions during its massive immigration crackdown in Minnesota.

According to The Associated Press, ICE officer Christian Castro is accused of lying to the FBI about a January shooting in Minneapolis.

The case marks the first time the Trump administration has prosecuted a federal immigration officer over actions taken during Operation Metro Surge.

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Details of the January shooting

Castro shot Julio Cesar Sosa-Celis in the leg during an immigration operation.

Federal authorities initially said Sosa-Celis and another man attacked an officer with a broom handle and a snow shovel. Prosecutors later dropped the charges against both men after video evidence raised questions about the officers’ account.

The video shows an immigration agent chasing a man toward a home before a brief struggle on the ground.

Two people then run inside.

Minnesota prosecutors say Castro later fired through the front door, hitting Sosa-Celis in the thigh.

Federal and state charges

Federal prosecutors now accuse Castro of making false statements to the FBI about the confrontation.

The federal case is separate from the assault and false-reporting charges Castro already faces in Minnesota.

A separate federal civil rights investigation into the shooting remains open.

Castro was released from custody in Texas last week after a federal judge declined to order his extradition to Minnesota.

He was suspended from ICE without pay in February.

An attorney for Sosa-Celis says the false-statement charge doesn’t go far enough and is calling for civil rights charges against Castro.

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Jason K. Morrell

Jason leads morning editorial coverage across U.S. politics, business, and global news for Straight Arrow, overseeing the flagship Unbiased Updates program and its newsroom team. His work includes shaping major breaking news, live events, and election and convention coverage at CNN US, CNN International, and Scripps News.

Tags: ICE, Immigration and Customs Enforcement, Minnesota

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Speaker 0 00:00:02 For the first time, a federal immigration officer is facing charges from the Trump administration over his actions during the massive immigration crackdown in Minnesota. According to the Associated Press, ice officer Christian Castro is accused of lying to federal investigators about a shooting in Minneapolis. Back in January, Castro shot Julio Cesar SOA Salis in the leg During an immigration operation, federal authorities initially said SOA Salis and another man attacked an officer with a broom handle and a snow shovel. But prosecutors later dropped the charges against both men after video evidence raised. Questions about the officer’s account. And if you’re watching us this morning, here’s some of that video. It shows an immigration agent chasing a man toward a home, followed by a brief struggle on the ground. Two people then run inside Minnesota. Prosecutors say Castro, later fired through the front door, hitting Sosa Sellis in the thigh. Castro’s now accused of making false statements to the FBI about what happened. The federal case is separate from assault and false reporting charges. Castro already faces in Minnesota and a federal investigation into whether he should face a more serious civil rights charge is still open. Castro was released from this jail in Texas last week after Minnesota’s attempt to have him Extradited was blocked. He was suspended from ice without pay. In February, an attorney for Sosa Selles says the false statement, charge doesn’t go far enough. He’s calling for civil rights charges as well.

Why this story matters

A federal immigration officer faces criminal charges from the Trump administration for allegedly lying to investigators about a shooting during an immigration operation, marking the first such case amid the ongoing enforcement crackdown.

Officer accountability is contested

Castro faces both federal false-statement charges and separate Minnesota assault and false-reporting charges, though a federal civil rights investigation remains open and unresolved.

Video contradicted officers' account

Prosecutors dropped charges against the two men Castro's team initially accused after video evidence raised questions about the officers' version of events, according to Minnesota prosecutors.

Extradition limits were tested

Minnesota's attempt to extradite Castro was blocked, and he was released from jail in Texas, illustrating documented constraints on state efforts to hold federal officers accountable.

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Bias comparison

Media outlets on the left frame Christian Castro’s case as a “rare moment” of accountability, stressing alleged ICE misconduct, video that challenged his account, and terms such as “racist raids” or “anti-immigration agent.”
Media outlets in the center more often use “false statements” and procedural attribution.
Media outlets on the right foreground the Venezuelan man’s alleged status as an “illegal immigrant,” the “migrant attack” narrative, Castro’s state charges, and Texas’s refusal to “hand him over,” portraying the dispute through law-and-order and state-versus-state conflict.

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Media landscape

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Key points from the Left

Christian Castro, an Immigration and Customs Enforcement officer, was federally charged with making false statements about his January shooting of Venezuelan Julio Cesar Sosa-Celis in Minnesota during an immigration operation.
Castro was released from a Texas jail after Governor Greg Abbott refused to sign his extradition warrant to Minnesota, where he faces state charges of assault and false crime reporting related to the shooting.
Federal prosecutors dropped assault charges against Sosa-Celis after video evidence contradicted officers' accounts, leading to an investigation into possible dishonesty by officers including Castro.
A federal prosecutor involved in the case was fired and is under investigation for possible obstruction of a grand jury probe, while the investigation into additional charges against Castro continues.

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Key points from the Center

Federal prosecutors charged U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement officer Christian Castro with lying to investigators about the January shooting of Venezuelan national Julio Cesar Sosa-Celis during a Minneapolis immigration crackdown earlier this year.
Prosecutors previously dropped charges against Sosa-Celis and another man after video evidence contradicted claims they beat an officer with a broom handle and snow shovel during the encounter.
Minnesota authorities separately charged Castro with assault and false reporting related to the same shooting, though he remains in Texas after the governor refused to sign an extradition warrant last week.
The investigation into officer conduct began after authorities determined initial reports of the encounter were potentially fabricated, shifting focus from the accused men to law enforcement accountability.
A recent AP-NORC poll found only 39% of U.S. Adults approve of the administration's immigration performance, down from 49% earlier this year, reflecting broader public skepticism.

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Key points from the Right

Federal prosecutors have charged ICE agent Christian Castro with making false statements regarding the January 14 shooting of Julio Cesar Sosa-Celis in Minneapolis during Operation Metro Surge.
Castro faces both federal and state charges in Minnesota, including second-degree assault and false reporting related to the shooting.
Video evidence contradicted initial ICE claims that Sosa-Celis and others attacked Castro with shovels and a broom before he shot Sosa-Celis in self-defense.
Castro was released from a Texas jail after Governor Greg Abbott refused extradition to Minnesota, and his current whereabouts remain unknown as law enforcement seeks to apprehend him.

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