Minnesota Prosecutors Accuse ICE Agent of Shooting Man and Lying About Incident

The Hennepin County Attorney's Office has filed charges against an Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agent, Christian Castro, for allegedly shooting Julio Sosa-Celis in the leg during a confrontation in Minneapolis. The incident occurred on January 14, 2026, near the height of "Operation Metro Surge," a large-scale immigration enforcement operation in the Twin Cities.

Prosecutors assert that Castro fired his weapon through the front door of a duplex while alone in the yard, despite no physical threat to himself. This contradicts the Department of Homeland Security's (DHS) account, which claimed that Sosa-Celis and two accomplices attacked Castro with a shovel and broom handle, prompting him to fire in self-defense. County officials have labeled DHS's press release as containing "dozens of false statements," accusing the federal agency of fabricating the incident.

The case highlights tensions between state and federal authorities, particularly over the treatment of ICE agents accused of misconduct. Hennepin County Attorney Mary Moriarty emphasized that federal badges do not grant immunity from state laws, underscoring the potential for legal conflicts as the Trump administration may seek to transfer the case to federal court.