A Minnesota prosecutor has charged a US Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) officer in connection with the nonfatal shooting of a Venezuelan man during President Donald Trump’s intensified immigration crackdown operations.
Hennepin County Attorney Mary Moriarty announced that ICE officer Christian Castro faces four felony counts of second-degree assault along with a misdemeanor charge of falsely reporting a crime following the January shooting in Minneapolis.
According to investigators, the victim, identified as Julio Cesar Sosa-Celis, was shot in the leg after Castro allegedly fired through the front door of a residence during a federal immigration operation known as “Operation Metro Surge.” Prosecutors say video evidence contradicts initial federal claims that agents were attacked before the shooting.
Authorities stated the Venezuelan man was legally present in the United States and posed no immediate threat when the shot was fired. Surveillance footage reportedly showed the victim dropping a shovel moments before gunfire erupted.
The case has become one of the most controversial incidents linked to the Trump administration’s immigration enforcement push in Minnesota, where multiple ICE-related shootings and aggressive raids have triggered protests and legal battles between state and federal officials.
Officials also confirmed a nationwide arrest warrant has been issued for Castro as investigations continue into broader federal enforcement actions in Minneapolis.