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Castro is the second federal agent to be criminally charged for conduct during Operation Metro Surge. Christian Castro is one of the two agents ICE Director Todd Lyons acknowledged lied about the circumstances of this incident.
Christian Castro, an Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agent, was arrested in Texas Friday morning.
Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension (BCA) investigators located Mr. Castro and traveled to Texas this week.
He was arrested by Department of Homeland Security Office of the Inspector General agents and Texas Rangers with the BCA investigators present at the scene.
Mr. Castro was charged earlier this month with four counts of second-degree assault and one count of falsely reporting a crime for an incident on Jan. 14, 2026, when he 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 one victim in the leg, before making its final impact in the wall of a child’s room.
“Today’s arrest is a critical step forward in our prosecution of Mr. Castro,” Hennepin County Attorney Mary Moriarty said. “The BCA’s investigative work was instrumental in this process and we’re grateful for their collaboration as we pursue accountability for this incident on behalf of Mr. Sosa-Celis, his family, and our community.”
"In Minnesota, we believe in equal justice under the law. That means nobody is above the law, including agents of the federal government," Minnesota Attorney General Keith Ellison said. "I am pleased to hear Christian Castro has been taken into custody and will stand trial for the crimes he allegedly committed in Minnesota. Justice demands no less. Christian Castro's alleged shooting of Julio Sosa-Celis appears unwarranted, as evidenced by the lies Castro told his ICE supervisors to justify his unlawful actions. He remains innocent unless and until proven guilty."
The state 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, 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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