ICE agent charged in nonfatal shooting of Venezuelan immigrant in Minneapolis
Minnesota prosecutors on Monday announced charges against a U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement agent in the nonfatal shooting of a Venezuelan man in Minneapolis earlier this year.
The federal agent, Christian Castro, was charged with four counts of second-degree assault and one count of falsely reporting a crime in the Jan. 14 shooting of Julio Sosa-Celis, according to the Hennepin County attorney.
"Mr. Castro fired his service weapon at the front door of the home, knowing there were people who had just run inside that presented absolutely no threat to him or anyone else," Hennepin County Attorney Mary Moriarty said during a news conference Monday.
According to Moriarty, the bullet struck Sosa-Celis in the leg, passed through a closet and lodged in the wall of a child's bedroom. She added that Castro was not under any physical threat when he opened fire and that claims from government officials that he had been struck with a shovel or broom were false.
"There is no such thing as absolute immunity for federal officers who commit crimes in this state or any other," Moriarty said. "A violent crime did occur that night, but it was Mr. Castro who committed it."
A spokesperson for ICE called the charges a "political stunt" but also said officers involved are being investigated by the U.S. attorney’s office for "lying under oath" and may "face disciplinary action, including termination of employment, as well as potential criminal prosecution."
According to the criminal complaint, the confrontation began when Castro and other ICE agents chased a man who was delivering food for DoorDash back to his house.
The complaint states that security footage shows that Castro tackled the driver after he jumped out of his car and was running toward his home, which he shared with Sosa-Celis. Another resident then separated the two men and was able to get inside the house with the driver.
According to the complaint, video evidence shows Castro then fired a single gunshot through the closed front door and hit Sosa-Celis in the right leg.
Four adults and two children were inside the home at the time of the gunfire, the complaint states. Following the shooting, ICE agents deployed tear gas, breached the residence, and took the occupants into custody.
Bail for Castro was set at $200,000.
