US News
Federal prosecutors consider charges against ICE officer in Minnesota shooting
Christian Castro already faces state assault charges, while a fight over his extradition from Texas continues.
The short version
- Federal prosecutors are weighing civil rights and false-statement charges against ICE officer Christian Castro over the January shooting of a Venezuelan immigrant in Minnesota.
- Castro already faces state assault and false reporting charges in Minnesota, but Texas Governor Greg Abbott has refused to extradite him from a Texas jail, prompting a legal challenge from Minnesota's attorney general.
- Initial assault charges against two Venezuelan men involved in the incident were dropped in February after federal authorities discovered video and evidence that contradicted officer statements.
Key facts
- Federal prosecutors are considering civil rights and false-statement charges against ICE officer Christian Castro.[CBS News]
- Castro was charged in Minnesota in May with four counts of second-degree assault and one count of falsely reporting a crime after shooting Julio Cesar Sosa-Celis in the leg.[CBS News]
- Castro is currently held in Cameron County, Texas, where Governor Greg Abbott has refused extradition to Minnesota.[CBS News]
- Minnesota Attorney General Keith Ellison sued Abbott over the extradition refusal, leading to a federal court hearing in Texas.[CBS News]
- Federal charges against Sosa-Celis and another man were dismissed with prejudice in February due to materially inconsistent evidence.[CBS News]
- Former ICE head Todd Lyons stated Castro and another officer were placed on administrative leave after video evidence showed they gave untruthful testimony.[CBS News]