PoliticsICE Agent Charged by DOJ for Lying About Minnesota Shooting That Sparked Protests, Officials Say
Castro is charged with lying in court.
Sept. 4 2026, Updated 5:32 p.m. ET
An ICE agent has been charged with lying about a nonfatal shooting that occurred during protests in Minnesota earlier this year.
Officer Christian Castro of Immigration and Customs Enforcement shot and wounded a man, Julio C. Sosa-Celis, during the January protests, but unlike in other other officer-involved shootings related to immigration activity, the Justice Department has pursued a case against the officer.
Castro Accused of Lying About Why He Was Fired
Greg Abbot is accused of refusing to extradite Castro.
Trump officials initially stood by Castro following the January 14 shooting, but distanced themselves as the case unfolded.
The criminal charges against Sosa-Celis and roommate Alfredo Aljorna involved in the incident were dropped as video footage contradicted Castro's testimony regarding the shooting.
Castro is accused of firing through a house's front door, hitting Sosa-Celis in the leg. Castro testified that Sosa-Celis and Aljorna had first attacked him with a broom handle and a snow shovel, but video has shown otherwise.
Greg Abbot Accused of Shielding Castro in Texas
Keith Ellison has been pursuing the case against Castro.
Minnesota state prosecutors charged Castro with assault in May, and he was arrested and held in a Texas county jail for three months. He has yet to stand trial for those charges because Texas' Republican governor, Greg Abbot, refused to extradite him to Minnesota.
Texas attorneys argued that Abbot did not deny the extradition, but was waiting on the outcome of an internal state investigation about whether Castro is legally a “fugitive” under the Extradition Clause.
This led to an online back-and-forth between Abbot and Minnesota Attorney General Keith Ellison. Ellison accused Abbot of making Texas a "sanctuary state for violent criminals," while Abbot mocked Minnesota's lawyers.
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Castro Cannot Avoid Federal Charges
The shooting occurred during violent Minnesota ICE protests in January.
Castro was released from jail in late August, as he could only be held there for 90 days.
However, now that he has been federally indicted, he cannot be shielded by another state, as federal prosecutors do not face the same barriers in moving a defendant from one state to another.
Abbot said he was now ready to re-arrest Castro.
"State law enforcement stands ready and willing to assist federal partners in facilitating Mr. Castro's arrest if needed," a spokesman said.
It is unclear when Castro will be tried.
A Rare Move by The Justice Department
The charges mark a rare instance of the Justice Department going after an immigration officer.
The charges mark a rare moment of the Justice Department pursuing charges against an immigration officer. The officers who shot Renée Good, Alex Pretti, Johan Sebastián Durán Guerrero and Lorenzo Salgado Araujo have not been disciplined despite overwhelming public outcry over the killings.
Federal prosecutors declined to pursue assault charges against Castro, but conceded on the false testimony charges.
"Although the evidence strongly supports civil rights charges, the federal government has grossly undercharged this case. Mr. Sosa Celis wants Mr. Castro to be held fully accountable for his crimes," said Sosa-Celis' attorney Robin Wolpert.
