A federal officer with U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement was released from custody following a court appearance in McAllen, Texas on charges of making false statements to investigators regarding a shooting incident that occurred in January. The officer, Christian Castro, was accused of providing inaccurate details about how he came to fire on a Venezuelan man during an immigration enforcement operation in the Twin Cities region.
According to a federal indictment, Castro told investigators he was attacked with a broom and shovel before opening fire and injuring Julio Cesar Sosa-Celis. However, prosecutors allege the account was fabricated. The indictment contends that Castro had a brief physical altercation with Sosa-Celis and another man before they entered a home. Castro then fired a shot through the front door as it was being closed, striking Sosa-Celis in the leg. Prosecutors stated that no one struck Castro with either a broom or shovel as he had described.
Castro was ordered released on a $75,000 unsecured bond with electronic monitoring and is scheduled to appear in federal court in Minnesota on Sept. 18. His defense attorneys indicated he plans to enter a not guilty plea. This marks the first Justice Department prosecution of a federal officer for actions taken during Operation Metro Surge, a large-scale immigration enforcement initiative conducted in the Twin Cities that drew widespread protests and resulted in other notable incidents.
Protesters and legal representatives have raised concerns about the charges pursued. A prosecutor involved in the investigation reportedly objected to the decision to charge Castro only with false statements, contending that more serious civil rights charges should have been brought. That prosecutor has since been terminated, and the Justice Department is investigating whether he violated any laws. A person familiar with the matter indicated that the civil rights investigation is continuing and additional charges remain possible.
Minnesota officials have separately charged Castro with assault and false reporting. Sosa-Celis’ attorney has stated his client believes Castro should face more substantial penalties and is pursuing damages from the federal government, with support from civil rights organizations.
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