Nationwide warrant issued…
A Minnesota U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) officer has been charged in connection with the nonfatal shooting of a Venezuelan immigrant during a January immigration enforcement operation in Minneapolis.
Hennepin County prosecutors charged ICE officer Christian Castro with four counts of second-degree assault and one count of falsely reporting a crime after the shooting of Julio Cesar Sosa-Celis, a Venezuelan man wounded during a confrontation tied to the Trump administration’s “Operation Metro Surge” immigration crackdown.
The Hennepin County Attorney’s Office has issued a nationwide warrant for Castro’s arrest in connection with the north Minneapolis shooting.
The incident became highly controversial after newly released city surveillance footage appeared to contradict the original account provided by federal agents. ICE initially claimed Sosa-Celis and another man violently attacked officers with a shovel and broom during a prolonged struggle before the shooting occurred.
Prosecutors and investigators later said the video showed a much shorter encounter and undermined key parts of the agents’ sworn statements.
According to court documents, a city-owned surveillance camera at the intersection of North Lyndale Avenue and North 24th Avenue captured footage on Jan. 14 showing a vehicle driven by a man fleeing ICE agents crashing into a snowbank.
The driver, identified as Alfredo Aljorna, then ran toward his nearby residence, where his friend Julio Sosa-Celis was outside holding a snow shovel.
Although the footage is dark and partially obstructed, investigators said it appears to show Sosa-Celis dropping the shovel as Aljorna approached. After Aljorna slipped, an ICE agent tackled him. Sosa-Celis can briefly be seen attempting to pull Aljorna away from the agent before the two men turned toward the house.
Moments later, the video appears to show the agent firing in their direction.
Court records state that Sosa-Celis suffered a minor gunshot wound to the thigh.
An initial statement released by the Department of Homeland Security incorrectly identified Sosa-Celis as the driver and claimed he “got loose and began striking the officer with a shovel or broom stick.”
Federal officials also asserted the agent had been ambushed and “fired a defensive shot to save his life.”
The later-released surveillance footage has since raised questions about portions of that account.
Federal prosecutors ultimately dropped assault charges against Sosa-Celis and Aljorna in the incident, while the Justice Department opened a criminal investigation into whether ICE officers lied under oath.
The shooting occurred amid escalating tensions in Minneapolis surrounding aggressive federal immigration operations that have already triggered protests, lawsuits, and multiple investigations into ICE conduct in Minnesota this year.
This is a breaking news story. Please check back for updates.
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Yes, it is possible ( POSSIBLE, but not yet ‘for sure’ ) that an ICE officer didn’t do as the law states that he was supposed to ( and IF he did, he SHOULD go to jail ).
But there is also the problem of illegal immigrants being in this country ILLEGALLY. A very great many of them have been violent!
And illegals DO NOT belong here. Come in legally and welcome. Come in illegally and be forced to LEAVE! Commit a crime and face FULL penalties as the law states that they should!
The vast number of ICE agents are doing their job with decency and respect ( as much as can be shown in such a situation ).
We must wait for the final legal decision on this before making up our minds on this situation.