ICE agent charged with lying under oath about Minnesota shooting

September 4, 2026 at 01:55 AM2 min

This digest was compiled by AI from multiple sources — links to the originals are below.

Federal prosecutors charged former ICE agent Christian Castro with lying under oath about the January shooting of Julio Cesar Sosa-Celis in Minnesota. Castro faces multiple state felony charges, including assault with a dangerous weapon. The indictment follows video evidence that contradicted his claim of self-defense.

Key Facts

Christian Castro, a former Department of Homeland Security agent, faces federal charges of lying under oath about the January 14 shooting of Julio Cesar Sosa-Celis in Minnesota.
Castro was released from custody in Texas last week after being held for 90 days under an extradition order that Texas Governor Greg Abbott declined to honor.
Surveillance footage contradicted Castro's claim that Sosa-Celis attacked him, showing the agent fired through a closed door and struck the man in the leg.
A federal grand jury returned a six-count indictment against Castro on Wednesday, according to CBS.
The Department of Homeland Security initially said Castro fired in self-defense after being attacked by three Venezuelan migrants with a shovel and broom handle.

Federal Indictment

Federal prosecutors charged Christian Castro, a former ICE agent, with lying under oath to investigators about the January shooting of Julio Cesar Sosa-Celis in Minnesota. The Associated Press and The New York Times reported the indictment, quoting a person familiar with the matter who was not authorized to discuss the investigation publicly. A federal grand jury returned a six-count indictment against Castro on Wednesday, according to CBS. Officials expect to make the indictment public once Castro is in custody.

Extradition Standoff

Minnesota authorities sought to extradite Castro from Texas to face state felony charges, including assault with a dangerous weapon. Texas Governor Greg Abbott, a Republican and President Donald Trump loyalist, declined to cooperate with the extradition request. Castro was arrested in Texas in May and jailed for three months before his release last week. Under Texas law, the state cannot hold the subject of an extradition order for longer than 90 days.

Contradictory Video Evidence

The Trump administration distanced itself from the Castro case after video emerged contradicting the agent's initial accounts of the confrontation. Castro told investigators that Sosa-Celis had attacked him, which surveillance footage showed did not happen. Minnesota investigators allege the agent fired through a closed door and shot the man in the leg. Todd Lyons, then acting head of ICE, said the footage 'has revealed that sworn testimony provided by two separate officers appears to have made untruthful statements'.