ICE Officer Charged With Lying About Shooting Venezuelan Man During Minneapolis Immigration Raid
A federal ICE officer faces charges for allegedly lying to investigators about shooting a Venezuelan man during Trump's Minneapolis immigration crackdown.
An ICE officer shot a Venezuelan man in the leg during a Trump administration immigration sweep in Minneapolis — and federal prosecutors say he then lied about it. Christian Castro now faces criminal charges not for the shooting itself, but for allegedly making false statements to investigators about what happened during the incident. The victim, Julio Cesar Sosa-Celis, survived the shooting and was one of three people shot by federal immigration agents during what the Trump administration called 'Operation Metro Surge,' a targeted immigration enforcement campaign in Minneapolis. Federal prosecutors filed the charges against Castro, an ICE officer, centering on his account of the shooting rather than the use of force itself. The precise nature of the alleged false statements — what Castro said versus what investigators determined — has not been fully detailed in the available reporting. The case emerges amid broader scrutiny of federal immigration enforcement tactics under the Trump administration's intensified crackdown, with the Minneapolis operation resulting in multiple shootings by federal agents.
Why it matters
The charges highlight accountability questions surrounding federal immigration enforcement operations, where at least three people were shot by agents during a single Minneapolis sweep. A criminal charge against an active ICE officer for lying to investigators is rare and signals that internal conduct during enforcement actions is under federal scrutiny.
What's next
The case will proceed through federal court, with the outcome likely to draw continued attention to the conduct of agents during Operation Metro Surge.
Key facts
- ICE officer Christian Castro has been charged with making false statements to investigators
- The victim, Julio Cesar Sosa-Celis, is Venezuelan and was shot in the leg but survived
- Sosa-Celis was one of three people shot by federal immigration agents during the Minneapolis operation
- The operation was called 'Operation Metro Surge' and was part of Trump's immigration crackdown
- Castro is charged with lying about the shooting, not with the shooting itself
Bias & framing notes
Both sources agree on the core facts — the officer's name, victim's name, the charge of lying, and the Minneapolis immigration operation context. The Guardian frames the story within the broader pattern of three shootings during 'Operation Metro Surge,' emphasizing the wider enforcement context, while AP's framing focuses more narrowly on the individual charge and legal proceeding. Neither source provides Castro's or ICE's response to the charges, leaving only the prosecution's perspective represented.
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