Minnesota sues Texas to force extradition of ICE agent charged in shooting
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Minnesota sued Texas Governor Greg Abbott in federal court on Tuesday to compel the extradition of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement agent Christian Castro, who faces assault charges for shooting a Venezuelan man in the leg in Minneapolis on January 14. Attorney General Keith Ellison said Abbott has refused to sign the rendition warrant for nearly three months and Castro could be released next week under Texas's 90-day jail rule. The lawsuit also seeks to bar Cameron County Sheriff Manuel Trevino from releasing Castro while the Minnesota warrant remains pending.
Key Facts
- Ellison's federal lawsuit asks the U.S. district court in southern Texas to bar Cameron County Sheriff Manuel Trevino from allowing Castro's release from jail.
- Christian Castro has been held in a Texas county jail near the border with Mexico for nearly three months since Texas Rangers arrested him on May 29 on a warrant issued by a Minnesota judge.
- Hennepin County Attorney Mary Moriarty charged Castro with four counts of second-degree assault with a dangerous weapon and falsely reporting a crime after video evidence disproved his account of the January 14 shooting.
- Ellison said Governor Greg Abbott has refused to sign the rendition warrant and that, under Texas law, Castro must be released after 90 days next week unless Abbott acts.
- Castro, 52, is the second federal immigration agent charged this year by Hennepin County Attorney Mary Moriarty.
The Extradition Dispute
Minnesota Attorney General Keith Ellison filed the federal lawsuit against Texas Governor Greg Abbott on Tuesday, arguing Abbott has refused to honor a mandatory extradition request from Governor Tim Walz. Ellison said Abbott has withheld the rendition warrant for nearly three months, leaving Castro in a county jail near the Texas-Mexico border since his May 29 arrest by Texas Rangers. Under Texas law, Castro must be released after 90 days if Abbott has not signed the warrant, a deadline Ellison said would elapse next week. Ellison also asked the U.S. district court in southern Texas to bar Cameron County Sheriff Manuel Trevino from allowing Castro's release from jail. Agathe Cirasa, an Abbott spokesperson, said the governor's office would not comment on pending extradition matters.
The Shooting and Charges
Christian Castro, 52, is wanted in Minnesota to face charges for shooting Julio Cesar Sosa-Celis in the leg on January 14 in Minneapolis during President Donald Trump's deportation surge. Hennepin County Attorney Mary Moriarty charged Castro with four counts of second-degree assault with a dangerous weapon and falsely reporting a crime after video evidence disproved his claim that Sosa-Celis and others attacked him with a snow shovel and broom. Federal prosecutors dismissed criminal charges against Sosa-Celis and suspended Castro after his superiors at the U.S. Department of Homeland Security learned of the video. Castro is the second federal immigration agent charged this year by Moriarty, the chief state prosecutor in Minneapolis.
Partisan Context
The case highlights the partisan divide over Trump's immigration policies, with Abbott a vocal supporter of ICE and deportation efforts. Minnesota's Democratic leaders, including Governor Tim Walz, have challenged federal agents' conduct in Minneapolis, where two American citizens were killed by federal agents in January. Castro's case has become part of a national debate over transparency and excessive violence during Trump's mass deportation campaign.
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Minnesota sues Texas to force extradition of ICE agent charged in shooting
