ICE Agent Arrested After Shooting Venezuelan Man During Minneapolis Immigration Raid
Finn's Take· TL;DR- ICE agent arrested for shooting Venezuelan man through door during Minneapolis raid; video contradicted his false claims of being attacked with tools.
- Operation Metro Surge resulted in multiple controversial shootings; federal authorities initially made false statements that were later exposed, leading to dropped charges against victims.
- Minnesota officials assert state jurisdiction to prosecute federal agents; DHS disputes, but state conviction would prevent presidential pardon unlike federal proceedings.
Federal Agent Faces Charges After False Claims Unravel
Christian Castro, a 52-year-old ICE agent, was arrested Friday morning in Harlingen, Texas, on charges including four felony counts of second-degree assault with a dangerous weapon and one misdemeanor count of falsely reporting a crime. The charges stem from a January 14 incident when Castro shot Julio Sosa-Celis, a Venezuelan man, in the leg through the front door of a Minneapolis home during Operation Metro Surge. The bullet lodged in a child's bedroom closet after wounding Sosa-Celis.
Video evidence and witness accounts contradicted Castro's original claims that he was attacked with shovels and brooms, exposing false statements that led to additional charges. Initially, federal authorities charged Sosa-Celis and his cousin with assaulting an agent, but the Justice Department dropped those charges in February after two ICE agents were found to have made false statements under oath.
Controversial Immigration Operation Sparks Multiple Incidents
The shooting occurred during Operation Metro Surge, which deployed thousands of federal agents to the Twin Cities and sparked weeks of protests along with lawsuits from both state and city governments. The operation resulted in multiple fatal shootings, including the deaths of Renée Good on January 7 and Alex Pretti on January 24, both involving federal agents.
This case represents one of several incidents where the government's initial account of shootings involving federal immigration agents later fell apart under scrutiny. Castro is the second ICE agent facing local charges for conduct during the surge, joining Gregory Morgan, who allegedly pointed his gun at civilians on a highway in February.
State Officials Assert Local Authority
Minnesota Attorney General Keith Ellison emphasized that "nobody is above the law, including agents of the federal government," calling Castro's alleged actions unwarranted based on the lies told to justify them. Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey declared that "Our city was invaded, and people were shot" and stressed that "nobody is above the law, including ICE."
The Department of Homeland Security called Castro's arrest "unlawful" and a "political stunt," arguing the case should be handled by federal authorities. However, Hennepin County Attorney Mary Moriarty stated her office will prosecute under Minnesota statute regardless of potential federal court transfers, noting a state conviction would make Castro ineligible for presidential pardon.
Legal Process Moves Forward
Castro was taken into custody by Texas Rangers executing a nationwide arrest warrant, with Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension agents present alongside Department of Homeland Security investigators. The arrest represents the next step in bringing Castro back to Minnesota to face charges, according to state officials.
The case highlights growing tensions between federal immigration enforcement and local jurisdictions over accountability for agent conduct. As Castro awaits potential extradition proceedings, the outcome could set important precedents for how states handle alleged federal agent misconduct within their borders, particularly during large-scale immigration operations that affect local communities.