ICE officer arrested for allegedly shooting Minnesota man through front door

Minnesota prosecutors on May 29 announced the arrest of a federal immigration officer in Texas for allegedly shooting into a Minneapolis home's front door during Operation Metro Surge in January.

Christian Castro, a 52-year-old Immigration and Customs Enforcement officer, was wanted for allegedly shooting Julio C. Sosa-Celis, a Venezuelan national, on Jan. 14 through the home's front door before the bullet lodged into a child's bedroom wall. Prosecutors accused Castro of later making false statements to law enforcement.

“In Minnesota, we believe in equal justice under the law,” Minnesota Attorney General Keith Ellison said in a May 29 statement announcing Castro's arrest. "That means nobody is above the law, including agents of the federal government.”

An attorney wasn't listed in Minnesota court records as of yet.

Castro is the second ICE officer charged for his role in Metro Surge, the Trump administration's immigration enforcement operation in Minnesota’s Twin Cities region. ICE officer Gregory Donnell Morgan Jr., 35, is accused of driving an unmarked vehicle illegally and pointing his weapon at two other motorists on a congested freeway. Morgan has pleaded not guilty in Minnesota court.

Federal officials fatally shot two American citizens, Renee Good and Alex Pretti, during Metro Surge.

The morning of May 29, Minnesota officials said Texas Rangers arrested Castro in at a home in Harlingen, a South Texas city near the Mexican border. The Hennepin County Attorney's Office had initially said Castro was arrested in a different area of Texas.

Daniel Borgertpoepping, a spokesman for the Hennepin County Attorney’s Office, said U.S. Department of Homeland Security Office of Inspector General agents and Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension investigators were present. The Minnesota officials don't have arrest authority in Texas, he added.

ICE and DHS didn’t respond to requests for comment. The Texas Department of Public Safety didn’t immediately respond to a request for comment.

After publication, the DHS inspector general's office said in a statement to USA TODAY that any characterization that its agents participated in Castro's arrest is inaccurate. It referred questions to Hennepin County officials and DHS.

State officials issued a nationwide arrest warrant for Castro on May 18. A criminal complaint charged him with four second-degree felony charges for assault with a dangerous weapon and one misdemeanor count of falsely reporting a crime.

ICE previously told USA TODAY in a May 18 email that "Minnesota sanctuary politicians are unlawful," but the agency added lying under oath is a serious federal offense. Following conclusion of an investigation, ICE said the officers could face "disciplinary action, including termination of employment, as well as potential criminal prosecution."

In February, Todd Lyons, former acting ICE director, said "sworn testimony provided by two separate officers appears to have made untruthful statements" regarding the shooting of Sosa-Celis. Lyons said both officers were placed on administrative leave pending an investigation.

It's unclear if federal charges have been filed or if Castro is still a federal employee.

Castro is accused of shooting Sosa-Celis while ICE agents were chasing another man, the complaint said. In total, six people, including two children, were inside the home at the time of the shooting. After the shooting, prosecutors said ICE agents surrounded the home, used tear gas and later breached the home, taking four people into custody.

Borgertpoepping said Sosa-Celis was treated at a hospital and later discharged.

State investigators arrived on scene and conducted a joint investigation into the shooting with FBI agents, interviewing Castro and another ICE officer.

A DHS news release a day after the shooting said people “violently assaulted” ICE officers with a shovel and broom handle to evade arrest. Hennepin County Attorney Mary Moriarty previously told reporters that Castro was not hit with weapons of any kind.

Minnesota prosecutors instead said surveillance footage, witness statements and physical evidence contradicted claims made by Castro.

“A violent crime did occur that night, but it was Mr. Castro who committed it,” Moriarty said.

The Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension said Castro is being held in the Cameron County Jail, in Texas, on the Minnesota arrest warrant. Jail officials confirmed he's held in custody.

This story was updated with new information.

Contributing: Terry Collins, USA TODAY

Eduardo Cuevas is based in New York City. Reach him by email at [email protected] or on Signal at emcuevas.01.