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DOJ Charges ICE Officer Christian Castro Following Minnesota Shooting Investigation
Just the facts
The Department of Justice charged Officer Christian Castro with making false statements to investigators regarding a January shooting in Minnesota that injured Venezuelan immigrant Julio Cesar Sosa-Celis. Internal investigations and video evidence revealed that sworn statements provided by Castro and another officer contradicted recorded events during an immigration enforcement operation. Charges against Sosa-Celis and co-defendant Alfredo Alejandro Aljorna were subsequently dismissed with prejudice in February 2026 after prosecutors identified discrepancies in the initial officer accounts. Hennepin County Attorney Mary Moriarty had previously filed state charges against Castro, though extradition efforts were delayed prior to federal action.
Why this is news
Federal authorities took Immigration and Customs Enforcement officer Christian Castro into custody in Texas following a six-count federal grand jury indictment in Minnesota. The arrest came after federal prosecutor Matthew Evans was fired while investigating civil rights offenses related to Castro's shooting of a Venezuelan immigrant.
Sources
This summary is compiled strictly from the original reporting below.