ICE Agent Accused of Shooting Venezuelan Man in Minnesota and Lying About Being Attacked Arrested in Texas

An Immigration and Customs Enforcement agent accused of shooting a Venezuelan man at Minneapolis and subsequently making false statements to investigators has been arrested in Texas.Last week, the Hennepin County Attorney’s Office issued a nationwide arrest warrant for the officer, Christian Castro, over a January 14 incident in which he shot a Venezuelan man, Julio Cesar Sosa-Celis, in the leg. Mr. Castro alleged that he was attacked by Mr. Sosa-Celis and another man with a shovel and a broomstick. The Department of Homeland Security initially said the agent shot Mr. Sosa-Celis in self-defense. Law enforcement officials later said video of the incident contradicts Mr. Castro’s claims. In February, the Justice Department dropped charges against Mr. Sosa-Celis and his cousin, Alfredo Aljorna, who was charged in connection with the incident. And last week, the Hennepin County Attorney’s Office charged Mr. Castro with four counts of second-degree assault and one count of falsely reporting a crime. But at the time, officials said his whereabouts were unknown. On Friday, Mr. Castro was arrested after agents with the Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension, BCA, tracked him to Texas. However, he was detained by Texas Rangers and agents with the Department of Homeland Security Office of the Inspector General, as the BCA agents did not have jurisdiction to arrest him. In a statement, the Hennepin County Attorney, Mary Moriarty, said, “Today’s arrest is a critical step forward in our prosecution of Mr. Castro. The BCA’s investigative work was instrumental in this process, and we’re grateful for their collaboration as we pursue accountability for this incident on behalf of Mr. Sosa-Celis, his family, and our community.”Ms. Moriarty said that Mr. Sosa-Celis and Mr. Aljorna were in Minnesota legally and that Mr. Castro misidentified them. Minnesota’s attorney general, Keith Ellison, said Mr. Castro needs to stand trial as it “appears” his shooting of Mr. Sosa-Celis was “unwarranted” based on the “lies Castro told his ICE supervisors to justify his unlawful actions.”Ms. Moriarty alleged that Mr. Castro fired into Mr. Sosa-Celis’s home “knowing there were people who had just run inside who presented absolutely no threat to him or anyone else.”If Mr. Castro refuses to willingly surrender to Minnesota, it could lead to extradition proceedings with Minnesota Governor Tim Walz sending an extradition warrant to Texas. Texas Governor Greg Abbott would be responsible for enforcing the warrant. The Constitution’s Extradition Clause states that anyone charged with a crime in one state and fled to another state “shall” be delivered to the state he or she fled from. Governors generally do not have the discretion to deny extradition requests. There are limited exceptions in which a governor can refuse the request, such as if the person in custody was not the person sought by another state. If a governor refuses to honor an extradition request, a federal court could compel them to comply. The Department of Homeland Security initially called the charges against Mr. Castro a “political stunt.” However, a DHS spokesman later said that the U.S. Attorney’s Office is investigating Mr. Castro for allegedly lying under oath and said he could face termination or criminal prosecution, the Minnesota Tribune reported. Minnesota officials may still face challenges in their effort to prosecute Mr. Castro, as the Supremacy Clause of the Constitution provides immunity for actions that occurred while an officer was carrying out their duties.Mr. Castro may try to get the case moved to federal court. Minnesota officials on Friday said that if the motion to move the case to federal court is granted, it would still be prosecuted by state attorneys under state law. If he were convicted in federal court, he would not be eligible for a presidential pardon as he would have been convicted under state law. The DHS did not respond to the Sun’s request for comment by the time of publication.

ICE Agent Accused of Shooting Venezuelan Man in Minnesota and Lying About Being Attacked Arrested in Texas

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