A federal immigration officer accused of shooting a Venezuelan man during a controversial ICE enforcement operation in Minneapolis has been arrested in Texas after spending nearly two weeks as a fugitive from state authorities.
Christian Castro, a 52-year-old officer with U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, was taken into custody Friday following a nationwide warrant issued by Minnesota prosecutors. Castro faces four felony counts of second-degree assault and one count of falsely reporting a crime in connection with a January shooting that became one of the most scrutinized incidents of the Trump administration’s immigration crackdown.
“Today’s arrest is a critical step forward in our prosecution of Mr. Castro,” Hennepin County Attorney Mary Moriarty said after the arrest was announced.
Castro is charged with four counts of second-degree assault and falsely reporting a crime following the January 2026 Minneapolis shooting of Julio Sosa-Celis.
Shooting became flashpoint during immigration crackdown
The charges stem from the Jan. 14 shooting of Julio Cesar Sosa-Celis during Operation Metro Surge, a large-scale federal immigration enforcement initiative launched in the Minneapolis-St. Paul area.
According to prosecutors, Castro fired through the front door of a north Minneapolis home while pursuing another man. One bullet struck Sosa-Celis in the leg, while another penetrated a wall near a child’s bedroom.
Authorities initially claimed Sosa-Celis and another Venezuelan immigrant, Alfredo Aljorna, attacked federal officers with a shovel and broomstick before the shooting occurred. Federal prosecutors filed assault charges against both men.
But surveillance video later contradicted that account.
The footage showed no attack matching officers’ descriptions, leading prosecutors to dismiss the charges against the two men. Federal officials later acknowledged that agents may have made false statements about what occurred.
Second ICE officer charged amid widening investigations
Castro is the second federal immigration officer to face criminal charges arising from Operation Metro Surge. Another ICE officer, Gregory Donnell Morgan Jr., was previously charged with aggravated assault for allegedly pointing a firearm at motorists during a separate incident connected to the operation.
Minnesota prosecutors have expanded their investigation into multiple uses of force by federal agents during the immigration crackdown, including two fatal shootings of U.S. citizens that triggered nationwide protests and intensified scrutiny of federal enforcement operations.
Federal-state tensions continue
Castro’s arrest highlights growing tensions between Minnesota authorities and federal immigration agencies.
Local prosecutors have repeatedly accused federal officials of withholding evidence and resisting state investigations into the shootings. Federal agencies, meanwhile, have criticized some of the prosecutions as politically motivated.
Court records do not currently list an attorney for Castro, and it remains unclear when he will be extradited to Minnesota to face the charges.
The case is expected to become one of the highest-profile prosecutions of a federal immigration officer in recent years and could further intensify scrutiny of ICE operations as the legal fallout from Operation Metro Surge continues to unfold.
READ NEXT: CNN’s Massive Deal Sparks Backlash Across Hollywood
They are only doing this to discourage anyone from enforcing or supporting immigration law. Prosecuting real crime is not conducive to their political agenda
The Governor of Minnesota Is CROOKED And So Is The MINN MAYOR. These Two Ice Agents Should Not Be Punished!
The Fact Is All Illegals Are Wanted OUT OF AMERICA.