Christian Castro, an officer with U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), made his first appearance in a Minneapolis state court on Thursday, September 17, 2026. Castro faces state charges of assault and falsely reporting a crime, as well as federal charges of lying to investigators, in connection with the January 14 shooting of Julio Cesar Sosa-Celis, a Venezuelan immigrant.
The shooting occurred during Operation Metro Surge, a federal immigration enforcement deployment in the Twin Cities area. According to state authorities, Castro fired through the front door of a house where Sosa-Celis had sought refuge, striking him in the leg. Prosecutors alleged that Castro initially claimed he was attacked with a snow shovel and a broom, but they stated that video evidence contradicted this account. While the Justice Department initially charged Sosa-Celis with assault, those charges were dropped after officials acknowledged that officers, including Castro, had provided untruthful statements.
Following the incident, Castro returned to Texas, leading to a monthslong legal dispute between Minnesota and Texas officials. Minnesota Governor Tim Walz requested Castro's extradition, but Texas Governor Greg Abbott declined to sign the warrant. Minnesota Attorney General Keith Ellison filed a lawsuit against Texas over the matter, which was dismissed following Castro's arrest by the Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension on Wednesday, September 16.
Defense attorney Daniel Gerdts stated in court that Castro had intended to self-surrender at a law office in Minneapolis but was arrested before he could do so. Another attorney, Rolando Cantu, said Castro plans to plead not guilty to both state and federal charges. During the Thursday hearing, Castro wore an orange jumpsuit and signed a pre-waiver of extradition, agreeing to return to Minnesota if he violates his release conditions. He remains in the Hennepin County jail.
For the public and specific groups like immigrants and residents of the Twin Cities, the case involves allegations of official misconduct and the discharge of a firearm into a home where children were present. The legal proceedings will determine the accountability of an ICE agent who was part of an enforcement surge that brought thousands of federal personnel to the area. DHS has suspended Castro.
The next steps in the legal process include a federal court appearance scheduled for Friday, September 18, in St. Paul regarding the charges of lying to investigators. The state court proceedings are scheduled to continue with a hearing on November 3. While a civil rights investigation into the shooting has been opened by federal authorities, no civil rights charges have been filed against Castro at this time. The outcome of these cases will likely influence future protocols for federal-state cooperation during immigration enforcement actions and the standards for investigating officer-involved shootings in such contexts.