RismadarVoice Reporters
September 17, 2026
A United States Immigration and Customs Enforcement agent has been arrested and jailed in Minnesota over assault charges arising from the shooting of a Venezuelan man in Minneapolis earlier this year.
Christian Castro was taken into custody by Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension agents in downtown Minneapolis on Wednesday and booked into the Hennepin County jail.
The ICE agent faces state assault and false-reporting charges connected to the January 14 shooting of Venezuelan national Julio Cesar Sosa-Celis. He also faces separate federal charges accusing him of making false statements to investigators about the incident.
Castro has not been convicted of the charges.
VIDEO EVIDENCE CENTRAL TO CASE
Minnesota prosecutors allege that Castro shot Sosa-Celis during a confrontation at an apartment.
Authorities also accuse Castro of falsely reporting that Sosa-Celis and others attacked him with a snow shovel and broom. Prosecutors say video evidence contradicted that account.
The incident occurred during Operation Metro Surge, a large federal immigration enforcement deployment in Minneapolis that formed part of President Donald Trump’s broader immigration crackdown and generated widespread protests.
Castro had returned to his home state of Texas following the shooting, leading Minnesota authorities to issue a warrant for his arrest.
A dispute subsequently emerged between Minnesota and Texas officials over efforts to extradite him.
Castro was later indicted by a federal grand jury over allegations that he lied to investigators and was released on bond from federal custody earlier this month.
His lawyer, Daniel Gerdts, said Castro had agreed to travel from Texas to Minnesota to surrender to state authorities. Another defence attorney, Rolando Cantu, said his client intended to answer the charges and wanted the case heard in court.
ICE SUSPENDS AGENT
The Department of Homeland Security has suspended Castro from ICE, while a civil rights investigation into the shooting has also reportedly been opened.
Castro is expected to appear before a Minnesota state court on Thursday before appearing in federal court in St. Paul on Friday in connection with the separate federal case.
The state and federal proceedings remain ongoing, and the allegations against Castro will be subject to determination by the courts.
