A U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement officer charged with lying about a shooting in Minneapolis has turned himself in to federal authorities, according to a person familiar with the matter in a report published September 3.
Christian Castro was taken into federal custody on charges of making false statements to investigators regarding the January shooting of Julio Cesar Sosa-Celis.
The federal charges follow Castro's release from jail last week after the governor of Texas declined to immediately sign an extradition warrant to transfer him to Minnesota authorities. Minnesota has separately charged Castro with assault and false reporting of a crime related to the same incident.
Federal prosecutors had originally accused Sosa-Celis and another man of attacking an officer with a broom handle and a snow shovel. However, prosecutors dropped those charges after video evidence suggested officers may have lied about the confrontation, leading to an investigation.
Castro is the first federal immigration officer to be prosecuted by the Trump administration in connection with actions taken during Operation Metro Surge in the Twin Cities, which began in January 2026. This Department of Homeland Security operation involved sending thousands of officers to the Minneapolis and St. Paul area.
Minnesota officials alleged that 52-year-old Castro shot Sosa-Celis in the thigh by firing through the front door of a home. The officer and another officer had been chasing a different man to the duplex where Sosa-Celis and another individual resided.
The Department of Homeland Security previously described the Minnesota prosecution of Castro as a political stunt and claimed only federal authorities have jurisdiction.
Attorney Robin Wolpert stated that the Justice Department has undercharged the case, alleging that Castro's statements were intended to cover up the shooting of his client through an occupied home's door. The American Civil Liberties Union of Minnesota announced Thursday that Sosa-Celis intends to seek damages from the federal government.
