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Federal prosecutors indict ICE officer for false statements in Minneapolis shooting

A grand jury charged Christian Castro over accounts of a January shooting as DOJ leadership reportedly blocked proposed civil rights charges.

Updated Sep 3, 2026 · 17:25 UTC3 reports

The short version

A federal grand jury indicted ICE officer Christian Castro on six counts of making false statements regarding the January shooting of a Venezuelan immigrant in Minneapolis.
Internal communications indicate Main Justice leadership blocked the lead Minnesota prosecutor's plan to pursue civil rights charges against Castro, limiting the indictment to false statements.
Castro was previously released from a Texas jail after Governor Greg Abbott refused Minnesota's extradition request on state felony assault charges.
Law enforcement is currently attempting to locate Castro, while local Minnesota prosecutors have expressed concerns that he may flee to Mexico.

A federal grand jury returned a six-count indictment against ICE officer Christian Castro for making false statements to investigators about a January 2026 shooting in Minneapolis.[Associated Press · CBS News]
The incident involved the shooting of Venezuelan immigrant Julio Cesar Sosa-Celis in the leg during a federal immigration enforcement operation.[Associated Press · CBS News · ProPublica]
Federal prosecutors dismissed initial assault charges against Sosa-Celis and another man in February after video evidence contradicted sworn testimony from ICE officers.[CBS News · ProPublica]
Assistant U.S. Attorney Matthew Evans stated in an email that Department of Justice leadership and the U.S. Attorney directed that Castro be charged only with false statements over Evans's strong objections against omitting civil rights charges.[ProPublica]
Castro faces separate state felony charges in Minnesota, including assault with a dangerous weapon, but was released from a Texas jail after Texas Governor Greg Abbott refused an extradition request.[CBS News · ProPublica]
Federal law enforcement personnel are actively attempting to locate Castro following the grand jury's indictment.[CBS News]

Castro's exact current location is unknown as federal authorities seek to locate him following his release from custody in Texas.[CBS News · ProPublica]
A Justice Department official stated that the agency has not reached a final conclusion on civil rights matters related to the incident, while prosecutors on the case indicated charging decisions were restricted to false statements.[ProPublica]