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Federal Court Orders Release of ICE Agent Christian Castro After Indictment for False Statements Regarding Minnesota Shooting

A federal court ordered the release of ICE agent Christian Castro on a $75,000 unsecured bond and a GPS ankle monitor after he pleaded not guilty to charges of making false statements regarding a Minnesota immigration crackdown. The indictment alleges that Castro falsely claimed to have been struck by a broom and a snow shovel during a January incident where he shot Venezuelan immigrant Julio Cesar Sosa-Celis in the leg. Video evidence from the area showed that the men involved had not actually struck the officer, and the officer fired the shot from a standing position rather than while on the ground. Federal prosecutors initially charged Sosa-Celis and his roommate Alfredo Alejandro Aljorna with assault, but dropped those charges in February after the video revealed the officer's testimony was inconsistent with the facts. The administration announced that the civil rights division would not pursue civil rights charges against Castro, despite objections from the prosecutor who handled the case. The Department of Homeland Security stated that Castro has been suspended without pay while the investigation continues. Sosa-Celis's attorney, Robin Wolpert, argued that the false statement charges are inadequate and that Castro should be held fully accountable for the shooting of the occupied house.

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