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The charges stem from the January 14 shooting of Julio Cesar Sosa-Celis in Minneapolis during Operation Metro Surge.
An Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agent accused of shooting a Venezuelan man during a crowd of immigrants in Minnesota has been arrested in Texas, according to US authorities.
Agent Christian Castro, 52, was arrested Friday when Minnesota investigators tracked him down south, where he was arrested with help from the Texas Rangers and the Department of Homeland Security’s (DHS) inspector general’s office. He faces four counts of second-degree assault and one count of making false statements about a crime.
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The charges stem from a fatal shooting on January 14 of Julio Cesar Sosa-Celis in Minneapolis during Operation Metro Surge, a massive immigration enforcement campaign that drew widespread criticism for its brutal tactics.
Prosecutors say Castro shot through the front door of another home, hitting Sosa-Celis in the leg.
“Mr. Castro was charged earlier this month with four counts of civil liberties and one count of perjury on January 14, 2026, when he discharged his weapon at the front door of a residence knowing that people were about to rush in,” the Hennepin County Attorney’s Office said. words.
“The bullet went through the door and hit someone in the leg before finally exploding through the wall of the child’s bedroom.”
Minnesota officials welcomed Castro’s arrest, saying state agencies should be subject to the same laws as everyone else.
“In Minnesota, we believe in equal justice under the law.” This means that no one is above the law, including public servants,” said Minnesota Attorney General Keith Ellison. “I am pleased to hear that Christian Castro has been arrested and will be charged for the crimes he allegedly committed in Minnesota.”
Operation Metro Surge is facing legal scrutiny
The case became more complicated after authorities said Sosa-Celis and another man harassed ICE officials.
This came to light later when video and other evidence surfaced contradicting the agents’ accounts, leading prosecutors to drop the charges against Sosa-Celis and her housemate, Alfredo Aljorna.
DHS later admitted that the officers who responded had made false statements about the shooting.
Outgoing ICE director Todd Lyons said a federal investigation was underway. “Lying under oath is a serious crime against the government,” he said.
But through a spokesman, ICE rejected Minnesota’s efforts to charge the agent involved, calling the case “illegal” and “political”.
Castro is the deputy indicted this year in connection with Operation Metro Surge, an unusual step that marks a major review of the actions of federal agencies during the crackdown on immigration.
Hennepin County District Attorney Mary Moriarty is also investigating other incidents related to the project.
Operation Metro Surge began in Minnesota in December 2025. At the time Sosa-Celis was shot on January 14, hundreds of federal agencies had been deployed to the Minneapolis-St Paul area in what officials said was the largest DHS operation in US history.
This violation caused a lot of controversy, especially after the murder of two US citizens: Renee Good on January 7 and Alex Pretty on January 24.
Based on this, the investigation into the shooting of Sosa-Celis also expanded the evaluation of the actions and behavior of the government agents during the operation.
