Christian Castro, a 52-year-old ICE agent, was arrested in Texas on May 29, 2026, on charges related to the January 14 shooting of Julio Cesar Sosa-Celis in Minneapolis during Operation Metro Surge [1, 2, 3, 4, 5]. Castro faces four counts of second-degree assault and one count of falsely reporting a crime after he fired through a front door, hitting Sosa-Celis in the leg [1, 2, 3].
Operation Metro Surge, a Trump-era immigration enforcement campaign in Minnesota, involved aggressive ICE tactics that have come under scrutiny [1, 2, 3, 5]. Both Sosa-Celis and another legally residing Venezuelan, Alfredo Aljorna, were originally charged with assaulting officers based on Castro’s false claims [1, 5]. Video evidence contradicted Castro’s self-defense claim, leading prosecutors to drop charges against the men [1, 5].
Castro was placed on leave in February amid the investigation, which found he lied under oath about the shooting [5]. He was arrested by Texas Rangers and Department of Homeland Security inspector general’s investigators after being located in Texas [1, 2, 3, 4]. Minnesota officials, including Attorney General Keith Ellison and Hennepin County Attorney Mary Moriarty, support the state charges against Castro. Moriarty called the arrest “a critical step forward” in prosecuting him, and Ellison said, “That means nobody is above the law, including agents of the federal government” [1, 2, 3].
ICE leadership condemned the arrest as “unlawful” and a “political stunt,” insisting such matters should be handled federally [1, 2, 5]. Castro is the second federal agent charged in connection with Operation Metro Surge; Gregory Donnell Morgan Jr. was charged earlier by Minnesota prosecutors [1, 5].
If Castro contests extradition from Texas, Minnesota Governor Tim Walz will need to request it from Texas Governor Greg Abbott [5]. The case remains pending as state authorities prepare to move forward with prosecution.
