ICE officer indicted on six false-statement counts over Minneapolis migrant shooting

Federal prosecutors charged ICE officer Christian Castro with lying to investigators about the January shooting of Venezuelan immigrant Julio Cesar Sosa-Celis in Minneapolis, marking the first DOJ action against an ICE officer for conduct during immigration operations. Castro faces multiple federal counts of making false statements, with prior Minnesota charges for assault and false reporting tied to the same incident.Victim accounts and video evidence reportedly contradicted initial claims that the encounter involved an unprovoked attack, and ongoing investigations have raised questions about civil rights charges. Castro was released after Texas Governor Greg Abbott declined to sign an extradition warrant, while Minnesota authorities remain involved and the case intersects with political controversy from the Trump administration’s immigration crackdown. The DOJ has reportedly limited pursuit of civil rights charges in this case, and civil litigation by the victim’s family and ongoing state prosecutions continue to unfold. The developments come amid broader scrutiny of federal immigration enforcement operations during the Minnesota crackdown and the associated public protests.