Federal prosecutors have charged an Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) officer with making false statements to investigators following the January shooting of a Venezuelan immigrant in Minneapolis.
Initial false claims exposed
The agent, identified as 52-year-old Christian Castro, originally told federal authorities that two men attacked him with a snow shovel and a broom handle during an enforcement operation.
He claimed he fired his handgun in self-defense striking 24-year-old Julio Cesar Sosa-Celis in the leg. Relying on those initial statements, federal prosecutors initially brought felony assault charges against Sosa-Celis and another man.
Video evidence upends case
However, a joint investigation by the Department of Justice and ICE reviewed local surveillance footage which painted a drastically different picture.
The video revealed that Castro fired his weapon through a closed front door while the men were retreating, contradicting his claims of an ongoing physical assault.
Consequently, federal prosecutors took the unusual step of dropping all criminal charges against both Venezuelan nationals.
Legal accountability for federal agents
In addition to federal charges for making false statements, Castro faces state-level felony assault and false reporting charges in Minnesota.
The Department of Homeland Security confirmed Castro has been suspended while the Justice Department continues its broader criminal inquiry into untruthful statements made under oath by immigration personnel.
Legal experts note that charging a federal officer with lying about a dynamic shooting highlights increasing judicial oversight over immigration enforcement operations.
