Minnesota Sues Texas Governor to Force Extradition of ICE Agent Charged in Shooting

Minnesota Attorney General Keith Ellison has filed a federal lawsuit against Texas Governor Greg Abbott, seeking to compel the extradition of an Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agent charged in connection with the nonfatal shooting of a Venezuelan man in Minneapolis.

The lawsuit, filed Tuesday, seeks an order requiring Abbott to approve the transfer of ICE agent Christian Castro from Texas to Minnesota, where he is expected to face criminal proceedings.

Castro, 52, was arrested in Texas on May 29 after Minnesota authorities issued a nationwide warrant. He has remained in custody at the Cameron County jail while Minnesota officials seek his extradition.

The charges stem from a January 14 shooting during Operation Metro Surge, a major federal immigration enforcement operation in Minnesota.

Prosecutors allege that Castro fired his weapon through the front door of an occupied Minneapolis home, striking Julio Cesar Sosa-Celis, a Venezuelan national, in the leg. Minnesota prosecutors also accuse Castro of falsely reporting the circumstances surrounding the shooting.

Castro faces four counts of second-degree assault and one misdemeanor count of falsely reporting a crime. According to Minnesota prosecutors, video evidence contradicted an earlier account that the ICE officers had been attacked with a broom and snow shovel.

The case gained further attention after ICE’s then-acting director said a review of video evidence indicated that two officers appeared to have made untruthful statements about the incident. The officers were subsequently placed on administrative leave.

Ellison’s lawsuit alleges that Abbott has delayed signing the necessary extradition paperwork for nearly three months despite a request from Minnesota Governor Tim Walz.

Minnesota officials say the delay is particularly urgent because Texas law limits the period a person can be held while awaiting extradition. Without action, Castro could potentially be released from custody as the 90-day detention period approaches its expiration.

Ellison argues that Abbott has a constitutional obligation to facilitate the extradition and that the Texas governor does not have discretion to indefinitely block the process.

Minnesota is also asking a federal court to prevent Cameron County Sheriff Manuel Trevino from releasing Castro while the extradition dispute is being resolved. Officials have expressed concern that Castro could flee to Mexico if released.

Abbott’s office has declined to comment on the pending extradition matter, while the Cameron County sheriff has also not commented on the lawsuit.

The dispute adds another layer to the political and legal tensions surrounding Operation Metro Surge, which brought thousands of federal immigration enforcement personnel into Minnesota late last year.

For Minnesota officials, the lawsuit is ultimately about whether a federal immigration officer accused of violating state law can be brought before a Minnesota court to answer the charges.

The case could also test the limits of cooperation between states when a defendant is arrested in one state but faces criminal charges in another.