By Ryan Lucas and Ximena Bustillo
Federal prosecutors have charged Christian Castro, an officer with Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), for allegedly lying to investigators about the shooting of a Venezuelan man in Minnesota earlier this year. The criminal case remains under seal but has been confirmed by a source not authorized to speak publicly about the ongoing investigation.
Context
This case marks a rare instance of the Justice Department seeking to hold immigration officers accountable for their actions during arrests. Castro was involved in a broad immigration crackdown in Minnesota known as Operation Metro Surge, which took place in January. Authorities allege that he fired his weapon through a closed door, injuring Julio Sosa-Celis, a Venezuelan immigrant, in the leg.
Initially, the Justice Department charged Sosa-Celis with assault; however, these charges were later dropped after it was revealed that the officers had made false statements regarding the incident. Castro had claimed under oath that Sosa-Celis attacked him, but surveillance footage contradicted this assertion.
Developments
In addition to the federal charges, Castro is facing state-level assault charges in Minnesota related to the same incident. Sosa-Celis's attorney, Robin Wolpert, criticized the federal charges against Castro, stating,
“"The ICE officer lied to cover up the fact that he shot my client through the door of an occupied house without a self-defense justification."
