ICE Agent Arrested in Texas After Shooting Venezuelan Man Through Minneapolis Door

Federal Agent Captured After Months on the Run

Christian Castro, 52, was taken into custody Friday by Texas Rangers who executed the nationwide arrest warrant issued for Castro by the Hennepin County Attorney's Office last week. The Immigration and Customs Enforcement agent had been charged with four counts of second-degree assault and one count of falsely reporting a crime in connection with a January shooting that left a Venezuelan immigrant wounded.

According to the criminal complaint, Castro allegedly fired a gunshot into a north Minneapolis home "knowing it was occupied by multiple individuals," striking Sosa-Celis in the leg. Investigators recovered a 9mm shell casing outside the home and documented a bullet trajectory traveling through the front door and multiple interior walls before lodging in a child's bedroom wall. The incident occurred during Operation Metro Surge, a massive immigration enforcement operation that brought thousands of federal agents to Minnesota.

Lies Unraveled by Video Evidence

What makes this case particularly troubling is how Castro attempted to cover up his actions. The complaint states that Castro gave false accounts of the confrontation to fellow ICE agents, medical staff and the FBI. He claimed he had been attacked with a broom and shovel before he fired his weapon. These fabrications would have likely stood as official record if not for contradictory evidence.

Prosecutors say those claims were contradicted by surveillance video, witness statements and physical evidence. The complaint says Sosa-Celis had a broomstick and swung it at Castro, but did not hit him. The video evidence was so compelling that federal assault charges against Sosa-Celis and the other man were dropped. Two ICE agents involved were placed on administrative leave for their false statements.

The consequences extended far beyond the shooting victim. Two women in the home, who had no criminal record and were never accused of a crime, were shackled and sent to a Texas detention facility where they remained for two weeks, separated from their two small children.

Political Battle Over Federal Authority

Castro's arrest has ignited a fierce jurisdictional dispute between state and federal authorities. The Department of Homeland Security called the arrest "unlawful" and a "political stunt" while saying the agent's actions should be handled by federal authorities. DHS argues that lying under oath is a federal offense and that their investigation should take precedence.

Minnesota officials pushed back strongly against these claims. "In Minnesota, we believe in equal justice under the law. That means nobody is above the law, including agents of the federal government," Ellison said in a news release about the arrest. Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey said in response to inquiries about the arrest that, "Our city was invaded, and people were shot. Now it must be clear – nobody is above the law, including ICE."

Part of Larger Pattern of Violence

The Castro case represents just one incident in a series of controversial shootings during Operation Metro Surge. Renée Good, a 33-year-old mother of three, was fatally shot by an ICE agent on January 7. And Alex Pretti, a 37-year-old intensive care nurse, was fatally shot by two DHS officers on January 24. In both those cases, the government's original accounts of the shootings faced scrutiny as videos and witness accounts emerged.

The case now moves toward extradition proceedings as Minnesota seeks to bring Castro back to face trial. Minnesota BCA Superintendent Drew Evans said the arrest "represents the next step in a long-established legal process, and we will now begin the work necessary to bring Mr. Castro back to Minnesota to face these charges." This prosecution could set important precedents for how states can hold federal agents accountable for alleged crimes committed during immigration enforcement operations.