ICE agent arrested over shooting of Venezuelan man in US immigration raid

The charges stem from the January 14 shooting of Julio Cesar Sosa-Celis successful Minneapolis during Operation Metro Surge.

An Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) cause charged with shooting a Venezuelan antheral during a arguable migration raid successful Minnesota has been arrested successful Texas, according to United States authorities.

Agent Christian Castro, 52, was taken into custody connected Friday aft investigators from Minnesota tracked him down successful the confederate state, wherever helium was arrested with assistance from the Texas Rangers and the Department of Homeland Security’s (DHS) inspector general’s office. He faces 4 counts of second-degree battle and 1 number of falsely reporting a crime.

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The charges stem from the non-fatal shooting connected January 14 of Julio Cesar Sosa-Celis successful Minneapolis during Operation Metro Surge, a large-scale migration enforcement run that drew wide disapproval for its assertive tactics.

Prosecutors allege Castro fired done the beforehand doorway of a residence, striking Sosa-Celis successful the leg.

“Mr Castro was charged earlier this period with 4 counts of second-degree battle and 1 number of falsely reporting a transgression for an incidental connected January 14, 2026, erstwhile helium discharged his limb done the beforehand doorway of a location knowing determination were radical who had conscionable tally inside,” the Hennepin County Attorney’s Office said successful a statement.

“The slug travelled done the doorway and struck 1 unfortunate successful the limb earlier making its last interaction successful the partition of a child’s room.”

Minnesota officials welcomed Castro’s arrest, saying national agents should beryllium held to the aforesaid ineligible standards arsenic everyone else.

“In Minnesota, we judge successful adjacent justness nether the law. That means cipher is supra the law, including agents of the national government,” said Minnesota Attorney General Keith Ellison. “I americium pleased to perceive Christian Castro has been taken into custody and volition basal proceedings for the crimes helium allegedly committed successful Minnesota.”

Operation Metro Surge faces expanding ineligible scrutiny

The lawsuit became a flashpoint aft national authorities initially claimed Sosa-Celis and different antheral had assaulted ICE officers.

Those allegations aboriginal unravelled erstwhile video and different grounds emerged that contradicted agents’ accounts, prompting prosecutors to driblet charges against Sosa-Celis and his housemate, Alfredo Aljorna.

The DHS aboriginal acknowledged that officers progressive successful the incidental had provided mendacious accusation astir the shooting.

The outgoing manager of ICE, Todd Lyons, besides indicated a national probe was nether way. “Lying nether oath is simply a superior national offense,” helium said.

But done a spokesperson, ICE rejected Minnesota’s effort to prosecute the cause involved, calling the lawsuit “unlawful” and “a governmental stunt”.

Castro is the 2nd national serviceman charged this twelvemonth successful transportation with Operation Metro Surge, an antithetic measurement that reflects increasing scrutiny of national agents’ behaviour during the migration crackdown.

Hennepin County Attorney Mary Moriarty is besides pursuing investigations into different incidents linked to the operation.

Operation Metro Surge began successful Minnesota successful December 2025. By the clip Sosa-Celis was changeable connected January 14, hundreds of national agents had been deployed crossed the Minneapolis-St Paul country successful what officials described arsenic the largest DHS cognition successful US history.

The crackdown yet prompted aggravated controversy, peculiarly aft the fatal shootings of 2 US citizens: Renee Good connected January 7 and Alex Pretti connected January 24.

Against that backdrop, the probe into the Sosa-Celis shooting further intensified scrutiny of national agents’ tactics and behaviour during the operation.