MINNEAPOLIS — A federal immigration officer charged with shooting and wounding a Venezuelan man in January and lying about the circumstances to investigators was to appear Thursday before a Minnesota judge after state authorities arrested him ahead of a separate hearing in federal court.
Immigration and Customs Enforcement officer Christian Castro faces state and federal charges stemming from the shooting of Julio Ceasar Sosa-Celis during a federal immigration crackdown in the Minneapolis area. Prosecutors say Castro falsely told investigators he had been attacked with a broom and a shovel.
The Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension said it arrested Castro on Wednesday in downtown Minneapolis on an outstanding warrant charging him with assault and false reporting of a crime. The arrest followed a dispute between Minnesota authorities and Texas’ governor over Minnesota’s attempts to extradite Castro from his home state to face the state charges.
Castro remained jailed without bond in Hennepin County on Thursday awaiting an afternoon hearing in a state court. He also is scheduled to appear Friday in U.S. District Court in Minneapolis in the federal case in which he is charged with making false statements to investigators regarding the shooting.
Castro’s defense attorneys in the federal case have said he plans to plead not guilty. Daniel Gerdts, listed in court records as Castro’s defense attorney in the state case, did not immediately return phone and email messages seeking comment.
It’s the first Justice Department prosecution of a federal officer for actions taken during this year’s massive Operation Metro Surge, which brought thousands of agents to the Twin Cities and led to sweeping protests, arrests and the fatal shootings of two U.S. citizens by federal officers.
In both the federal and state cases against Castro, prosecutors say he shot 24-year-old Sosa-Celis in the leg while firing through the front door of a Minneapolis home. They say Castro later falsely reported he had been attacked with a broom handle and a snow shovel.
Minnesota authorities have battled with President Trump’s administration over who should handle any charges against Castro. The Department of Homeland Security has called Minnesota’s prosecution of Castro “unlawful and nothing more than a political stunt,” saying only federal authorities have jurisdiction.
Minnesota charged Castro months before his federal indictment. He was arrested in Texas in May on the Minnesota charges. But Texas Gov. Greg Abbott last month refused to sign an extradition warrant to hand him over to Minnesota authorities. Castro was released in Texas and soon after was indicted on the federal charges. He then turned himself in to federal authorities and returned to Minnesota on his own.
Sullivan and Bynum write for the Associated Press. Bynum reported from Savannah, Ga.
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