Hennepin County Attorney Mary Moriarty charged ICE officer Christian Castro with four counts of second-degree assault and one count of falsely reporting a crime, issuing a warrant for his arrest following a January 14 shooting incident in Minneapolis that wounded a Venezuelan man in the thigh.

The Shooting Incident

Federal agents pursued suspects to a Minneapolis apartment duplex during an enforcement operation. Castro shot Julio Cesar Sosa-Celis in the thigh during the encounter. Federal authorities initially claimed Sosa-Celis and Alfredo Alejandro Aljorna attacked an officer with a broom handle and snow shovel. However, a federal judge dismissed those charges against the migrants, and officials opened an investigation into whether two immigration officers provided false testimony under oath about the incident.

Background on the Suspects

Sosa-Celis entered the United States illegally in August 2022. He had prior convictions for driving without a license and arrests for giving false names to law enforcement. Minnesota authorities released him before ICE could lodge a detainer. Aljorna entered illegally in May 2023 and received a final removal order after failing to appear for his immigration hearing. A third individual, Gabriel Alejandro Hernandez-Ledezma, who also entered illegally in May 2023, was designated a non-enforcement priority by the previous administration.

Political Context

The charges come amid heightened tensions over federal immigration enforcement in Minnesota. Governor Tim Walz previously claimed federal agents were conducting door-to-door operations targeting neighbors. Moriarty, whose campaign received funding from organizations backed by George Soros, stated both Sosa-Celis and the other man were legally in the United States at the time of the shooting, contradicting federal immigration records showing illegal entries and pending removal orders.

Legal Implications

The prosecution of a federal immigration officer by county authorities raises questions about jurisdictional authority and cooperation between local and federal law enforcement. The case highlights ongoing conflicts between state prosecutors and federal immigration enforcement agencies over operational procedures and use of force standards. Federal officials continue investigating the discrepancies between initial reports and subsequent findings that led to dismissed charges against the migrants involved in the confrontation.