The Immigration and Customs Enforcement is still reeling from its missteps in Minneapolis as now an ICE agent, Christian Castro, has been arrested for his January 14 shooting of Julio Cesar Sosa-Celis. The 52-year-old ICE agent is the second federal agent to be charged over their conduct during the Minnesota crackdown, known as Operation Metro Surge, the first being Gregory Donnell Morgan Jr.
What happened on the evening of January 14? What did the ICE agent do?
On the evening of the shooting, Castro had a brief scuffle with Alfredo Aljorna, a Venezuelan migrant whom he had been trying to arrest after a car chase, according to court documents. After Aljorna broke free and raced into his Minneapolis home, Castro fired a bullet into the front door, wounding Aljorna’s roommate, Julio C Sosa-Celis, in the leg. It was a non-fatal injury. Both of them are Venezuelan and staying in the US legally.As protests erupted over the shooting, Castro misled investigators and told them that he had opened fire in self-defense as three men bludgeoned him for several minutes using a shovel and a broom.Aljorna and Sosa-Celis were also charged based on this account.But a surveillance footage later revealed that Castro’s version was untrue. Charges were dropped against the two Venezuelan men.As Castro was placed on leave in February, ICE’s interim director Todd Lyons said he was under investigation for allegedly lying under oath.But ICE officials are not supporting the state charges against Castro and his arrest and they think this is nothing more than a political stunt. In a statement on Friday, the agency added that, “This is a federal issue, and it must be handled at the federal level.”If Castro waives the right to an extradition hearing in Texas, he could be moved to Minnesota to be arraigned quickly. If he fights extradition, Gov. Tim Walz of Minnesota, a Democrat, would need to make a formal request for his extradition to Gov. Greg Abbott of Texas, a Republican.
