ICE Agent Arrested in Texas After False Claims About Minneapolis Shooting

Federal Agent Charged After Video Contradicts Official Account

An Immigration and Customs Enforcement agent accused of shooting a Venezuelan man in Minneapolis and then lying about the incident was arrested Friday morning in Texas . Christian Castro, 52, faces four counts of second-degree assault and one count of falsely reporting a crime in connection with the January 14 shooting of Julio Cesar Sosa-Celis during Operation Metro Surge , part of the Trump administration's immigration crackdown.

Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension investigators tracked Castro down in Texas, where he was taken into custody by Department of Homeland Security agents and Texas Rangers . The bullet traveled through the front door and multiple interior walls before lodging in a child's bedroom wall , highlighting the dangerous nature of the incident.

Video evidence and witness accounts contradicted the original federal claims that Julio Sosa-Celis and his cousin had attacked the agent with a shovel . Court records show surveillance footage reveals Sosa-Celis dropping his shovel before Castro reached the home and that it remained on the ground throughout the incident .

Government's Case Falls Apart Under Scrutiny

Initially, DHS claimed federal agents were targeting Sosa-Celis in a traffic stop when he attempted to evade arrest and tried to flee on foot, with officials stating Sosa-Celis "got loose and began striking the officer with a shovel or broom stick" . DHS Secretary Kristi Noem described the men's actions as "an attempted murder of federal law enforcement" .

However, nearly a month after the shooting the Justice Department moved to drop the charges against both men, citing "newly discovered evidence" described as "materially inconsistent with the allegations" . ICE also issued a statement admitting its federal agents made "false statements" under oath .

Hennepin County Attorney Mary Moriarty has said that both men were in Minnesota "lawfully" and that "this was a case of mistaken identity" . Immigration and Customs Enforcement said two of its agents, who made false statements about the incident under oath, were placed on administrative leave .

Part of Broader Pattern of Controversial Enforcement

The shooting happened a week after Renee Good was shot and killed by ICE agent Jonathan Ross in south Minneapolis, as thousands of federal law enforcement officers had descended upon Minnesota as part of an immigration crackdown . Castro is the second federal agent to be criminally charged for conduct during Operation Metro Surge, with another ICE agent charged last month with felony second-degree assault with a dangerous weapon for allegedly pointing a gun at the heads of two civilians .

This case represents one of several instances in which the US government's account of a shooting involving a federal immigration agent has fallen apart after later scrutiny . Prosecutors also moved to drop charges last year against Marimar Martinez, an American woman shot by a federal agent in her vehicle in Chicago , showing a troubling pattern of false official narratives.

"In Minnesota, we believe in equal justice under the law. That means nobody is above the law, including agents of the federal government," said Minnesota Attorney General Keith Ellison . The case now moves forward in state court, where federal officials cannot intervene with presidential pardons, ensuring accountability for law enforcement misconduct regardless of political pressures.