Additional Coverage:
- ICE agent charged after Venezuelan immigrant shooting sparks outrage in Minnesota crackdown (themirror.com)
Minnesota prosecutors have charged an Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agent for shooting a Venezuelan immigrant during a large-scale federal operation in Minneapolis earlier this year. Christian Castro faces four counts of second-degree assault and one count of falsely reporting a crime. His identity was disclosed for the first time when the charges were announced on Monday.
The incident occurred in January when Julio Sosa-Celis was shot in the leg, sustaining a non-life-threatening injury. Sosa-Celis was one of three individuals wounded by federal officers amid protests against the Department of Homeland Security’s Operation Metro Surge in Minnesota.
State investigators reported difficulties obtaining information from federal authorities, who initially withheld details including the names of the agents involved in the January 14 pursuit that ended in the shooting. According to federal officials, the confrontation began during a car chase in which Sosa-Celis crashed into a snowbank before fleeing to a nearby home.
Federal agents claimed they were “ambushed” by three people-one allegedly armed with a broomstick-while attempting to arrest Sosa-Celis. DHS initially justified the shooting as a defensive action, stating the officer feared for his life.
Both Sosa-Celis and another man involved were charged with assaulting a federal agent. However, the Department of Justice later moved to dismiss these charges, citing newly discovered evidence that contradicted earlier allegations.
A federal investigation into the conduct of the ICE agents involved was launched after video evidence reportedly challenged their sworn statements.
In a related case from April, Minnesota prosecutors charged ICE agent Gregory Donnell Morgan Jr. with two counts of second-degree aggravated assault. The charges stem from an incident on February 5, when Morgan allegedly pointed a firearm at occupants of a vehicle on Minnesota State Highway 62.
Hennepin County Attorney Mary Moriarty emphasized accountability, stating, “There is no such thing as absolute immunity for federal agents who violate the law in the state of Minnesota.” These cases mark significant legal scrutiny of federal immigration enforcement actions in the state amid ongoing public concern.