ICE Officer Accused of Lying About Minnesota Shooting Turns Himself In to Federal Authorities

A U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement officer accused of lying to investigators about a shooting during the Trump administration’s immigration crackdown in Minnesota has surrendered to federal authorities, marking a significant development in a case that has drawn intense scrutiny over the conduct of federal agents.

Christian Castro, an ICE officer from Texas, turned himself in Thursday after federal prosecutors charged him with making false statements to investigators concerning the January shooting of Julio Cesar Sosa-Celis, a Venezuelan man who was shot in the leg during an immigration enforcement operation in Minneapolis. The development was confirmed to The Associated Press by a person familiar with the case who was not authorized to speak publicly.

Federal prosecutors have charged Castro with six counts of making false statements relating to the shooting, according to court and law-enforcement reports.

The charges are separate from criminal allegations already brought against him by Minnesota authorities, including assault and false-reporting charges connected to the same incident. Castro had been released from a Texas jail last week after a dispute over whether he should be extradited to Minnesota.

The federal case is particularly notable because Castro is the first federal immigration officer known to face prosecution by the Justice Department for conduct connected to Operation Metro Surge, the large-scale immigration enforcement operation launched in the Twin Cities in January.

The case stems from an encounter on January 14, 2026, when Castro shot Sosa-Celis in the leg.

Authorities initially accused Sosa-Celis and another man of attacking an ICE officer with a broom and snow shovel during the confrontation.

But prosecutors later dropped the charges against the two men after video evidence raised questions about the officers’ account of what happened. Investigators subsequently examined whether Castro had falsely described the confrontation.

According to the federal indictment, prosecutors allege that Castro fired through a doorway while Sosa-Celis and another man were retreating into a home where a child was present. The indictment further alleges that the claimed attack involving a broom and snow shovel did not occur as Castro had reported.

Castro has pleaded not guilty to the federal allegations. He has also been suspended from ICE without pay while the investigations continue.

Castro’s surrender comes after a political and legal dispute between Texas and Minnesota.

The ICE officer was arrested in Texas in connection with Minnesota’s charges, but Texas Gov. Greg Abbott declined to immediately sign an extradition warrant transferring Castro to Minnesota authorities.

Castro was subsequently released from a South Texas jail after the detention period expired, intensifying concerns among Minnesota officials and the shooting victim’s representatives over whether he would ultimately face proceedings.

Federal prosecutors have now taken up their own case against Castro, bringing the officer back into federal custody.

Sosa-Celis’ attorneys and civil-rights advocates have criticized the federal charges as insufficient, arguing that the allegations surrounding the shooting warrant a more serious civil-rights prosecution.

The ACLU of Minnesota has announced plans to represent Sosa-Celis in seeking damages, while a separate civil-rights investigation into the shooting remains ongoing.

The Justice Department’s prosecution comes amid continuing controversy surrounding Operation Metro Surge, which brought thousands of federal agents into Minnesota and sparked large protests and clashes between federal authorities, demonstrators and state officials.

The wider operation has also been linked to other deadly encounters involving federal immigration agents, further intensifying calls for greater accountability and transparency.

The case against Castro is unusual because criminal prosecutions of federal immigration officers for alleged misconduct during immigration operations are relatively rare.

It also comes at a politically sensitive time for the Trump administration, whose aggressive immigration enforcement campaign has faced legal challenges, protests and criticism from civil-rights organizations.

For now, Castro faces both the federal false-statement case and separate Minnesota allegations, while investigators continue examining the circumstances surrounding the shooting of Sosa-Celis.

The federal case could become an important test of how aggressively the government will pursue allegations of misconduct by its own immigration officers.