Judge Prevents Minnesota from Extraditing ICE Agent from Texas
A federal judge has halted Minnesota’s efforts to extradite ICE agent Christian Castro from Texas. This comes after charges were filed against Castro concerning a January incident in Minneapolis where he allegedly shot a Venezuelan migrant during Operation Metro Surge. Meanwhile, Texas Governor Greg Abbott is looking into whether Castro meets the legal criteria to be considered a fugitive.
Federal prosecutors have accused Castro of lying to investigators about the circumstances surrounding the shooting of Julio Cesar Sosa-Celis, who sustained a leg injury on January 14. Castro was indicted by a Minnesota grand jury, as confirmed by a source familiar with the case.
Castro reportedly fired through a front door, hitting Sosa-Celis, and then allegedly fabricated details regarding the shooting. This incident occurred during the Trump administration’s strict enforcement measures on illegal immigration in Minnesota.
Recently, Castro was released from a Texas jail after Governor Abbott declined to authorize an extradition warrant for him to Minnesota authorities. Under Texas law, Castro had to be released after 90 days if extradition wasn’t granted. Last month, Minnesota Attorney General Keith Ellison attempted, but failed, to secure a temporary restraining order that would prevent Castro’s release or facilitate his return to Minnesota.
Following the shooting, there was at least one night of unrest in Minneapolis. Castro also faces additional charges in Minnesota for assault and making false statements in relation to the same incident.
Initially, federal authorities had accused Sosa-Celis and another person of assaulting an officer with a broom and a snow shovel during their confrontation. However, these charges were dismissed after it was revealed through video evidence that there may have been inconsistencies in the officers’ statements, which led to a further investigation.
On Wednesday, ProPublica reported that federal officials in Washington had barred prosecutors from pursuing civil rights charges against Castro.
Fox News Digital has reached out to ICE, the Department of Homeland Security, and the Justice Department for further comments.
