ICE officer faces federal court over false statements in Minneapolis shooting

An immigration officer accused of shooting a Venezuelan man during the immigration crackdown in Minneapolis early this year is scheduled to appear Friday in U.S. District Court on a federal charge of making false statements about the shooting. Immigration and Customs Enforcement officer Christian Castro, who prosecutors say fired through the front door of a Minneapolis home and struck Julio Cesar Sosa-Celis in the leg, is facing one count of making false statements in the January shooting.

Castro’s federal hearing in St. Paul comes a day after he appeared in state court on assault charges and was released from custody. Castro’s federal defense attorneys have said he plans to plead not guilty. His attorney in the state case, Daniel Gerdts, declined to comment after Thursday’s hearing.

In both cases, prosecutors say Castro later falsely reported that he had been attacked with a broom handle and a snow shovel before firing his gun. Minnesota prosecutors charged him in May, but were thwarted in their efforts to bring him from Texas, where he was arrested.

Authorities, including Minnesota’s Bureau of Criminal Apprehension, arrested Castro in Cameron County, Texas, on May 29, after a Minnesota judge issued a nationwide warrant. Under Texas law, Castro could be detained for 90 days, during which Minnesota sought his extradition. Texas Republican Gov. Greg Abbott last month refused to sign an extradition warrant.

Castro was released in Texas and later indicted on the federal charges. He then turned himself in to federal authorities and returned to Minnesota on his own to face the indictment announced early this month.

Friday’s hearing is the first Justice Department prosecution of a federal officer for actions taken during this year’s Operation Metro Surge, which brought thousands of agents to the Twin Cities and led to sweeping protests, arrests and the fatal shootings of two U.S. citizens by federal officers.

Minnesota authorities have battled President Donald Trump’s administration over who should handle any charges against Castro. The Department of Homeland Security has called Minnesota’s prosecution of Castro “unlawful and nothing more than a political stunt,” saying only federal authorities have jurisdiction.