Updated
Updated · Fox News · Sep 18
ICE Officer Christian Castro Pleads Not Guilty to 6 FBI False-Statement Counts
Updated
Updated · Fox News · Sep 18

ICE Officer Christian Castro Pleads Not Guilty to 6 FBI False-Statement Counts

3 articles · Updated · Fox News · Sep 18

Summary

  • Christian Castro, 52, pleaded not guilty in St. Paul to six federal counts alleging he lied to the FBI about a January Minneapolis shooting during Operation Metro Surge.
  • Prosecutors say Castro shot 24-year-old Julio Cesar Sosa-Celis in the leg through a home's front door, and surveillance footage undercut his claim that he was being attacked with a broom and shovel.
  • A judge released Castro with an ankle monitor, limited his travel to Minnesota and South Texas, and ordered him to report any law-enforcement altercation within 72 hours.
  • The case follows a 90-day custody fight in Texas, where Gov. Greg Abbott had refused to sign an extradition warrant before Castro was booked in Minnesota last week.
  • Castro still faces both federal and state charges, extending a broader jurisdiction clash between Minnesota authorities and the Trump administration over who can prosecute the shooting.

Insights

What happens when two states clash over extraditing a federal officer accused of shooting a migrant?
How did a bullet in a child's bedroom unravel an officer's self-defense claim during a major immigration raid?
Will the dropped charges against the migrant trigger a broader review of evidence collection in federal operations?