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This is the second federal agent to be criminally charged for conduct during Operation Metro Surge. Christian Casto is one of the two agents ICE Director Todd Lyons acknowledged lied about the circumstances of this incident.
The Hennepin County Attorney’s Office has filed charges against Christian Castro, an Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agent, in the shooting of Julio Sosa-Celis in north Minneapolis on Jan. 14, 2026.
He has been charged with four counts of second-degree assault and one count of falsely reporting a crime.
Mr. Castro, 52, discharged his weapon through the front door of a home knowing there were people who had just run inside. The bullet traveled through the door and struck Mr. Sosa-Celis’s leg, before making its final impact in the wall of a child’s room.
Contrary to the Department of Homeland Security’s (DHS) press release on January 15, Mr. Castro was not hit with any shovels, brooms, or weapons of any kind at any time during this incident . He was outside the house and alone in the front yard when he fired his weapon through the front door of the home.
The press release – along with its dozens of false statements – remains on the DHS website.
“Mr. Castro fired his weapon through the front door of the home while standing alone in the front yard, under no physical threat or duress, and knowing there were people who had just run inside,” Hennepin County Attorney Mary Moriarty said. “Mr. Castro is an ICE agent. But his federal badge does not make him immune from state charges for his criminal conduct in Minnesota.”
"Nobody is above the law, including ICE agents," said Attorney General Ellison. "The State of Minnesota must hold people accountable for violating the law and for harming Minnesotans. I support the filing of these charges, and I am working closely with Hennepin County Attorney Moriarty to ensure we reach a just outcome here."
Today’s charges are likely to result in an attempt to “remove” this case to federal court. Should a judge grant removal, it will still be prosecuted by HCAO attorneys along with the Minnesota Attorney General’s Office, under Minnesota Statute. And should it end in conviction, it will be ineligible for presidential pardon.
For more information on this specific process, see “The Steps Required to Prosecute a Federal Agent."
Case Number: 27-CR-26-12537
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Look for more news on the Hennepin County Attorney's Office website.
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