Protesters march in sub-zero temperatures in Minneapolis, Minn., in January. An immigration agent who allegedly shot a man in the leg in Minneapolis was arrested Friday in Texas. File Photo by Craig Lassig/UPI | License Photo
An Immigration and Customs Enforcement Agent charged in a Minneapolis shooting was arrested in Texas Friday morning.
Christian Castro, 52, was charged on May 18 with four counts of second-degree assault with a dangerous weapon and one count of falsely reporting a crime. The charges are related to the Jan. 14 shooting of Julio Sosa-Celis, a Venezuelan immigrant.
Castro was arrested in Cameron County, Texas, by the Department of Homeland Security Office of the Inspector General, the Texas Rangers and the Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension, according to Daniel Borgertpoepping of the Hennepin County Attorney’s Office in Minnesota.
The office said that the charges against Castro are “likely to result in an attempt to ‘remove’ this case to federal court.” But Minnesota will still prosecute the case, and if Castro is convicted, he won’t be eligible for a presidential pardon.
“Today’s arrest is a critical step forward in our prosecution of Mr. Castro,” Hennepin County Attorney Mary Moriarty said. “The BCA’s investigative work was instrumental in this process, and we’re grateful for their collaboration as we pursue accountability for this incident on behalf of Mr. Sosa-Celis, his family, and our community.”
“In Minnesota, we believe in equal justice under the law. That means nobody is above the law, including agents of the federal government,” Minnesota Attorney General Keith Ellison said. “I am pleased to hear Christian Castro has been taken into custody and will stand trial for the crimes he allegedly committed in Minnesota. Justice demands no less. Christian Castro’s alleged shooting of Julio Sosa-Celis appears unwarranted, as evidenced by the lies Castro told his ICE supervisors to justify his unlawful actions. He remains innocent unless and until proven guilty.”
The criminal complaint alleges that on Jan. 14, Castro fired a gunshot into a home, “knowing it was occupied by multiple individuals.” Sosa-Celis was shot in the leg.
That evening, Castro told investigators that he had fired fearing for his life as three men beat him with a shovel and a broom for several minutes. For that, police arrested Sosa-Solis and his roommate, Alfredo Aljorna, for assaulting a police officer. But a Minneapolis police surveillance camera documented the encounter and showed no attack. Charges were dropped against the men.
The complaint alleged that at the time of the shooting, four adults and two children were inside the home.
ICE Out of Minnesota protest on Jan. 23 in Minneapolis
Thousands of protesters march in sub-zero temperatures during “ICE Out” day to protest the federal government’s immigration enforcement surge in Minneapolis, Minnesota on Friday. Photo by Craig Lassig/UPI | License Photo
