Minnesota Prosecutor Implores Abbott To Extradite ICE Agent Detained in Texas More Than Two Months Ago

More than two months after an Immigration and Customs Enforcement agent was detained in Texas in connection with the shooting of a Venezuelan migrant, the Minneapolis prosecutor who brought the charges is pleading with the Lone Star State’s governor, Greg Abbott, to extradite the defendant.In May, Texas Rangers arrested the ICE agent, Christian Castro, acting on a nationwide arrest warrant issued by the Hennepin County Attorney’s Office. The charges stem from a January 14 incident in which Mr. Castro 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. Minnesota law enforcement officials said video evidence contradicted that story and the DHS said it is investigating Mr. Castro’s statements.Minnesota’s governor, Tim Walz, asked Texas to extradite Mr. Castro. However, in the weeks since, the request has not been approved.In a letter to Mr. Abbott, which was disclosed this week, the Hennepin County attorney, Mary Moriarty, said, “I am writing to request that you review and sign the extradition paperwork for Christian J. Castro, currently held in a Cameron County, Texas, (jail), pursuant to a nationwide warrant issued in Hennepin County, Minnesota.”Ms. Moriarty said that her office has been working with Cameron County officials to file the fugitive complaint, and that her office is “ready to present to the Texas judge the information she will need to order extradition.”“Texas law, under the Uniform Criminal Extradition Act (UCEA), provides a clear framework for interstate extradition. The process has been initiated in full compliance with both Texas and Minnesota statutes, and all procedural requirements have been met,” Ms. Moriarty wrote.The Department of Homeland Security has criticized the state charges against Mr. Castro, calling them a “political stunt” and saying the matter is a federal issue. But a spokesman for the department previously told the Sun that a U.S. Attorney is investigating the shooting and the probe could lead to disciplinary action or criminal charges.The possibility of an extradition fight has hung over the proceedings since Mr. Castro’s arrest. The U.S. 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. Exceptions are limited for a governor to 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 the governor to comply. Texas law gives the governor the authority to launch an investigation into the accusations against a defendant to determine whether the individual should be handed over to the state that filed the charges. It is unclear whether Texas has launched such a review of the charges.Mr. Abbott’s office said that the governor does not comment on pending extradition proceedings. Mr. Walz previously told reporters that his “expectation” is that Texas will extradite Mr. Castro, saying, “There’d be no reason not to.” The Minnesota governor’s office did not respond to the Sun’s request for comment about the status of the extradition proceedings.

Minnesota Prosecutor Implores Abbott To Extradite ICE Agent Detained in Texas More Than Two Months Ago

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