Additional Coverage:
- ICE agent who shot Venezuelan immigrant in Minneapolis charged (themirror.com)
Federal prosecutors have charged a former Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) officer, Christian Castro, with making false statements to investigators in connection with the shooting of a Venezuelan immigrant in Minnesota. This development follows a six-count indictment returned by a federal grand jury, which remains unsealed, according to multiple sources familiar with the case.
Castro had already faced charges from local prosecutors in May, but a legal standoff arose when Texas Governor Greg Abbott refused to extradite him. Castro was released from a Texas jail last week as a result of this dispute, while authorities continue to actively search for him.
The incident occurred during a heightened federal immigration enforcement effort under the Trump administration in Minnesota. It came just one week after another high-profile fatal encounter involving ICE agents.
Earlier this year, two men-Alfredo Alejandro Aljorna and Julio Cesar Sosa-Celis, the latter also a Venezuelan immigrant-were federally charged with assaulting and resisting federal officers. Sosa-Celis had been shot in the leg by an ICE officer during the confrontation.
Official accounts from the Department of Homeland Security initially stated that Sosa-Celis fled a traffic stop after crashing a vehicle, then joined another man in attacking an agent with a snow shovel and broom handle, prompting an officer to fire a defensive shot. However, an FBI affidavit and cellphone footage presented a different version.
The affidavit identified Aljorna as the individual who fled, while Sosa-Celis reportedly struck Castro with a broomstick as officers tried to detain Aljorna. Footage released by a Democratic state legislator showed a woman telling 911 dispatchers that ICE agents chased her husband to their home and shot him in front of their family.
At the time, then-acting ICE chief Todd Lyons acknowledged that the video evidence contradicted sworn statements made by Castro and another officer. Both officers were placed on administrative leave, and Castro was later suspended without pay. Lyons emphasized the seriousness of lying under oath, calling it a federal offense.
These conflicting accounts ultimately led to the dismissal of charges against Aljorna and Sosa-Celis in February. Federal prosecutors dropped the case with prejudice, citing newly discovered evidence that was materially inconsistent with the original allegations.
The ongoing investigation into Castro’s conduct highlights continuing questions about accountability and transparency in immigration enforcement operations.
Read More About This Story:
- ICE agent who shot Venezuelan immigrant in Minneapolis charged (themirror.com)