An Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agent accused of lying to investigators about the circumstances surrounding a shooting involving a Venezuelan man in Minnesota has been released on bail after appearing in federal court.
Christian Castro surrendered to authorities Thursday night and appeared Friday before a federal judge in McAllen, Texas. The judge ordered his release on an unsecured $75,000 bond and required him to wear a GPS monitoring device on his ankle. Castro is scheduled to appear again in federal court in Minnesota on September 18. His attorneys, David A. Lindenmuth and Rolando Cantu, said he plans to plead not guilty.
Federal prosecutors allege that Castro provided a false account of a confrontation in January in which Venezuelan national Julio César Sosa-Celis was shot and wounded. According to court documents, Castro told an FBI investigator that a man struck him with a red broom and that another person attacked him with a snow shovel, prompting him to fire his weapon while he was on the ground.
Federal investigators dispute that account. Prosecutors allege Castro briefly struggled with Sosa-Celis and another man before the two entered a home where a one-year-old child was present. Castro allegedly fired through the door as it was closing, striking Sosa-Celis in the leg.
The indictment states that investigators found no evidence that Castro was attacked with a broom or that the broom and snow shovel were used in the manner he described.
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The case represents the first federal prosecution of a federal official over conduct connected to Operation Metro Surge, a major immigration enforcement operation that deployed thousands of agents across Minneapolis and St. Paul and sparked protests and arrests.
The operation was also marked by the fatal shootings of two U.S. citizens by federal agents. According to The Associated Press, the federal allegations against Castro largely mirror charges previously brought by Minnesota authorities, who accused him of assault and filing a false report related to the shooting of Sosa-Celis.
Federal prosecutors initially charged Sosa-Celis and Alfredo Alejandro Aljorna, the other man involved in the confrontation, with assaulting Castro. Those charges were later dropped after video footage raised questions about the agent’s account of the incident. Castro was suspended from ICE in February while the investigation continued.
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Castro had been released from jail the previous week after the governor of Texas initially declined to sign an extradition order that would have allowed him to be transferred to Minnesota to face the state charges.
Investigation creates tensions within Justice Department
The case has also exposed divisions within the U.S. Department of Justice. A prosecutor involved in the investigation accused senior officials of preventing Castro from facing more serious charges over potential civil rights violations.
In an email obtained by ProPublica, prosecutor Matthew Evans told attorneys representing Sosa-Celis and others connected to the case that Castro would be prosecuted only for allegedly providing false statements, despite his objections.
Evans said the decision had been made by senior Justice Department and U.S. Attorney’s Office officials. A person familiar with the investigation told The Associated Press that the inquiry into possible civil rights violations remains ongoing and that additional charges could still be filed. The source spoke on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to publicly discuss an ongoing investigation.
