ICE officer Christian Castro is scheduled to appear Friday in U.S. District Court in St. Paul, Minnesota, on a federal charge of making false statements about a January shooting during Operation Metro Surge, the massive federal immigration operation that swept through the Twin Cities this year.
Castro, 52, is accused of shooting 24-year-old Venezuelan national Julio Cesar Sosa-Celis in the leg by firing through the front door of a Minneapolis home. Prosecutors in both the federal and state cases against him say he later gave investigators a false account, claiming he had been attacked with a broom handle and a snow shovel before he opened fire.
The federal hearing follows a day after Castro appeared in state court on assault charges, where he was released from custody. His attorney, Daniel Gerdts, declined to comment after Thursday’s hearing. Castro’s defense in the federal case has indicated he plans to plead not guilty.
A Long Fight Over Jurisdiction
Minnesota prosecutors charged Castro in May but spent months trying, and failing, to force his extradition from Texas, his home state. Authorities including Minnesota’s Bureau of Criminal Apprehension arrested Castro in Cameron County, Texas, on May 29 after a Minnesota judge issued a nationwide warrant.
Under Texas law, Castro could be held for up to 90 days while Minnesota pursued extradition. But Texas Republican Gov. Greg Abbott declined to sign the extradition warrant last month, and Castro was released.
He was indicted on the federal charges shortly afterward and turned himself in to federal authorities, returning to Minnesota voluntarily to face both the state and federal cases.
The Trump administration’s Department of Homeland Security has pushed back hard against Minnesota’s attempt to prosecute Castro, calling the state’s case “unlawful and nothing more than a political stunt” and insisting federal authorities alone have jurisdiction.
First Prosecution Tied to Operation Metro Surge
Castro’s federal case marks the first Justice Department prosecution of a federal officer for conduct during Operation Metro Surge, the operation that brought thousands of agents into the Twin Cities earlier this year. The surge triggered widespread protests, numerous arrests, and the fatal shootings of two U.S. citizens by federal officers.
Friday’s proceeding in St. Paul addresses only the federal false-statement charge against Castro. The separate state assault case, which produced Thursday’s hearing, continues to move forward after the monthslong standoff between Minnesota and Texas officials over custody of Castro.
