ICE Officer Christian Castro Charged With Lying About Minneapolis Shooting

A U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement officer has been federally charged with allegedly making false statements to investigators about a January shooting in Minneapolis, Minnesota, involving a Venezuelan man. The case has drawn renewed attention to the conduct of federal immigration officers and the legal disputes surrounding the Trump administration's immigration enforcement operations in Minnesota.

The officer, Christian Castro, 52, is accused of providing investigators with a false account of the events that led to the shooting of Venezuelan immigrant Julio Cesar Sosa-Celis. Federal prosecutors have charged Castro with making false statements to investigators. According to reporting, Castro turned himself in to federal authorities on Thursday after the charges were brought against him.

What Happened in the Minneapolis Shooting?

The case stems from an incident on January 14, 2026, during a large-scale immigration enforcement operation in the Minneapolis area.

Authorities say Castro and another ICE officer were pursuing a man who entered a Minneapolis duplex. During the confrontation, Castro fired his weapon through the front door of the residence. One of the bullets struck Sosa-Celis, who was hit in the leg.

Castro reportedly told authorities that he had been attacked before he fired his weapon. Federal authorities initially accused Sosa-Celis and another man of attacking an officer using objects including a broom and a snow shovel.

However, prosecutors later obtained video evidence that they said was inconsistent with the initial account of the confrontation. Federal prosecutors subsequently dropped the charges against Sosa-Celis, while an investigation into the incident continued.

Federal Charges Against ICE Officer

The latest federal case focuses on what Castro allegedly told investigators following the shooting rather than directly charging him with the shooting itself.

According to the latest reports, Castro faces a federal charge related to making false statements to investigators. The charge carries a potential maximum sentence of five years in prison if he is convicted, according to The Washington Post.

Castro is also facing separate criminal charges in Minnesota. State prosecutors previously charged him with four counts of second-degree assault and one count of falsely reporting a crime in connection with the shooting.

Castro has not entered a plea to the state or federal charges, and the allegations against him have not been established at trial.

Dispute Between Minnesota and Texas

The case has also become part of a legal dispute between Minnesota and Texas.

Castro was arrested in Texas after Minnesota authorities sought his extradition to face the state charges. However, Texas Gov. Greg Abbott did not immediately approve the extradition request. A federal judge later declined to intervene in the dispute between the two states.

Castro was subsequently released from a Texas jail after reaching the state's 90-day detention limit while awaiting extradition. The Minnesota charges and extradition request remain pending.

The new federal case changes the situation because Castro is now facing a separate federal prosecution related to the same underlying incident.

Federal Prosecutor Also Fired

The case has produced another major development inside the Justice Department.

A federal prosecutor involved in the investigation, Matthew Evans, was reportedly fired after expressing concerns that more serious civil rights charges should be pursued against Castro. Reporting indicates that Evans believed there was sufficient evidence for a charge involving deprivation of civil rights under color of law.

The Justice Department has disputed the characterization that officials had definitively rejected further civil rights charges. According to people familiar with the investigation, the civil rights investigation remains ongoing and no final decision has been made about additional charges.

The development adds another layer to an already contentious case involving federal immigration enforcement, state prosecutors and the Justice Department.

Broader Immigration Enforcement Context

The shooting occurred during Operation Metro Surge, a major federal immigration enforcement operation in the Minneapolis–St. Paul area.

Thousands of federal officers were deployed as part of the operation, which generated protests and intense political debate over immigration enforcement and the conduct of federal agents.

The Minneapolis operation had already attracted national attention following the deaths of Renee Good and Alex Pretti, two U.S. citizens who were fatally shot by federal immigration agents during the broader enforcement crackdown.

Castro's federal case is notable because it represents a rare instance in which the Justice Department is pursuing criminal charges against a federal immigration officer for conduct connected to the Minneapolis enforcement operation.

What Happens Next?

Castro is expected to appear before a federal judge in Texas before the federal case proceeds. The federal charges remain separate from the Minnesota state prosecution, meaning he could potentially have to address both cases.

The legal proceedings are likely to focus on what Castro told investigators, the video evidence from the January confrontation, and whether additional federal civil rights charges should be brought.

For now, the case remains ongoing, and Castro is presumed innocent unless proven guilty in court.

The latest development puts the Minneapolis ICE shooting investigation back in the national spotlight, with questions continuing over the conduct of federal immigration agents, the handling of investigations by the Justice Department, and the ongoing legal dispute between Minnesota and Texas.