MINNEAPOLIS — ICE agent Christian Castro is being held in Minnesota as two criminal cases move forward over a January shooting in north Minneapolis and statements prosecutors say he later made to investigators. Castro, 52, was booked into the Hennepin County Jail on Wednesday after Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension agents arrested him in Minneapolis. This case has garnered significant attention as ICE Agent Christian Castro Jailed Amid Assault Charges.
Castro faces four Minnesota felony counts of second-degree assault and one count of falsely reporting a crime. Separately, a federal grand jury has indicted him on six counts of making materially false statements to the FBI. He has pleaded not guilty to the federal charges. As in all criminal cases, the charges are allegations, and Castro is presumed innocent unless proven guilty.
What happened in the January shooting?
The case stems from a Jan. 14, 2026, encounter in north Minneapolis during Operation Metro Surge, a federal immigration enforcement campaign. According to the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Minnesota, Castro and another ICE deportation officer attempted to stop a vehicle driven by a 26-year-old Venezuelan citizen.
Castro pursued the driver on foot and struggled with him outside a duplex. A second man, Julio Cesar Sosa-Celis, came outside and became involved in the encounter. The Justice Department says the physical struggle lasted about 11 seconds.
After the two men moved back toward the duplex, prosecutors say Castro stood up, drew his service weapon and fired one round through the front door. The bullet struck Sosa-Celis in the leg and continued into the home. Multiple people, including children, were inside at the time, according to the federal indictment.
The Hennepin County Attorney’s Office says the bullet ultimately lodged in the wall of a child’s room.
Federal indictment focuses on statements to the FBI
The federal case centers not simply on the shooting, but on what Castro allegedly told an FBI agent later that night. According to the Sept. 2 federal indictment, Castro said people struck him with a broom and snow shovel during the confrontation. He also said he was on or near the ground when he fired his weapon.
Federal prosecutors allege those statements were materially false. The indictment says no one struck Castro with a broom as he described, and no one wielded the broom and shovel in the manner he reported. Prosecutors also allege Castro was standing when he fired toward the men as they moved into the home.
The Justice Department has charged Castro with six counts under the federal false-statements statute. Each count carries a maximum possible sentence of five years in prison if he is convicted, although any sentence would ultimately be determined by a judge under federal law and sentencing rules.
The Justice Department emphasized that the case has not been proven. In its announcement, the department said, “An indictment is merely an allegation.”
Minnesota charges remain separate
Minnesota prosecutors filed their case in May. Castro is charged there with four counts of second-degree assault and one count of falsely reporting a crime.
Hennepin County prosecutors say evidence gathered by the Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension, including video and the physical path of the bullet, conflicted with the original description of the encounter. Those allegations will be tested in court, where Castro can challenge the evidence and present a defense.
Castro was initially arrested in Texas in late May. His transfer to Minnesota became the subject of a dispute between Minnesota officials and Texas Gov. Greg Abbott, who did not sign an extradition warrant before Castro reached the maximum period he could be held in Texas on the Minnesota fugitive matter. Castro was released from Texas custody in late August.
He was later federally indicted and returned to Minnesota. Minnesota authorities arrested him Wednesday in Minneapolis and booked him into the Hennepin County Jail. Hennepin County Attorney Mary Moriarty said after the arrest, “We look forward to commencing our prosecution.”
What happens next?
Castro is scheduled to make an initial appearance in Hennepin County court on Thursday on the state charges. He is also expected to appear in federal court in St. Paul on Friday in the false-statements case.
The two proceedings involve different laws and different prosecutors. The Minnesota case focuses on the shooting itself and the state allegation that Castro falsely reported what occurred. The federal case focuses on statements he allegedly made to the FBI.
Key points in the case
- Castro faces four Minnesota felony assault counts and one state false-reporting count.
- A federal grand jury separately indicted him on six counts of making materially false statements to the FBI.
- The shooting happened Jan. 14 during Operation Metro Surge in Minneapolis.
- Sosa-Celis was struck in the leg by a bullet fired through the door of a home.
- Children and other residents were inside the duplex, according to prosecutors.
- Castro has pleaded not guilty in the federal case and is presumed innocent on all charges.
Why the case matters
The prosecution raises a broader question about accountability when federal officers are accused of violating state or federal criminal laws while performing official duties. Federal officers have legal protections for actions taken within the scope of their work, but those protections do not automatically end criminal investigations or prevent prosecutors from bringing charges.
The case will also test competing versions of a highly scrutinized law-enforcement encounter. Prosecutors say video and physical evidence contradicted important parts of Castro’s original account. Castro’s lawyers will have the opportunity to contest that evidence in court.
For now, the legal question is not whether the allegations are politically popular or unpopular. It is whether prosecutors can prove each charge beyond a reasonable doubt.
Sources
- U.S. Attorney’s Office, District of Minnesota — federal indictment announcement
- Hennepin County Attorney’s Office — Minnesota charges
- Hennepin County Attorney’s Office — May arrest background
- Reuters — Sept. 17 arrest and court update
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