Federal prosecutors and Justice Department leadership clashed over civil rights charges for an Immigration and Customs Enforcement agent accused of shooting a Venezuelan immigrant in Minneapolis last January. While the agent now faces federal false statement charges, the internal dispute has sparked high-level fallout and public scrutiny.
An Immigration and Customs Enforcement officer caught at the center of a high-stakes legal battle was released from federal custody following a court appearance in McAllen, Texas. The case stems from the January 14 shooting of Julio Cesar Sosa-Celis, a Venezuelan immigrant, during a federal immigration enforcement crackdown in the Twin Cities known as Operation Metro Surge.
The federal indictment unsealed against 52-year-old Christian Castro accuses him of making six counts of materially false statements to investigators regarding the confrontation. According to the court documents, Castro falsely claimed he was violently attacked with a broom and snow shovel and that his scuffle with a detainee lasted approximately three minutes. Prosecutors state the interaction actually lasted roughly eleven seconds
and that no such assault with household tools occurred.
Internal Justice Department Conflict and Prosecutor Firing
The investigation created turmoil within the Justice Department. Federal prosecutors in Minnesota had initially prepared to charge Castro with deprivation of rights under color of law, a serious civil rights violation akin to charges brought against police officers in the killing of George Floyd.
However, leaders at Main Justice in Washington, D.C., quashed those plans over the strongest possible objections of the lead prosecutor on the case. Matthew Evans, the assistant U.S. attorney handling the matter, informed legal representation for the victims that higher-ups directed him to charge Castro only with false statements, which carry significantly lighter penalties.
Following the public disclosure of his email through investigative reporting, Evans was fired from the department, and officials launched an inquiry into his handling of the case. Meanwhile, a person familiar with the investigation maintained that the broader civil rights probe remains active and additional charges could still be brought against the agent.
Contradicted Narratives and State-Level Extradition Drama
The trajectory of the case shifted dramatically after initial DHS and ICE public statements collapsed under scrutiny. Immediately following the January incident, the Department of Homeland Security asserted that agents were ambushed by violent criminal illegal aliens
who beat Castro with a broomstick, forcing him to fire in self-defense. Federal prosecutors initially charged Sosa-Celis and Alfredo Alejandro Aljorna with assault based on those allegations.
Those charges were dropped the following month after video evidence revealed the sworn testimony of the officers appeared false.
Before facing federal counts, Castro was separately charged in May by Hennepin County Attorney Mary Moriarty with four counts of second-degree assault and one count of falsely reporting a crime. That state-level action triggered a jurisdictional standoff when Minnesota Attorney General Keith Ellison sued Texas Gov. Greg Abbott to compel Castro’s extradition after Texas officials refused to hand him over. A federal judge ultimately ruled that the court had no authority to intervene in interstate extradition disputes.
Court Appearance and Upcoming Deadlines
During his appearance in a McAllen federal court, Castro was shackled at his wrists, waist, and feet after turning himself into authorities. The judge ordered him released on a $75,000 unsecured bond alongside mandatory monitoring via a GPS ankle bracelet.
Defense attorneys David A. Lindenmuth and Rolando Cantu stated that their client intends to plead not guilty. Lindenmuth emphasized Castro’s prior military background and career in public service, urging the public to withhold judgment until proceedings conclude.
“His life has been that of public service to our country and to our nation, either through its military or protecting its borders and enforcing its laws.”
Castro is scheduled to make his next federal court appearance in Minnesota on September 18, where he faces the pending false statement counts as well as unresolved state-level felony prosecutions.
