A US Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) officer entered a not guilty plea on Friday regarding accusations of providing false information related to the shooting of a Venezuelan man in Minneapolis during the Trump administration’s efforts to combat illegal immigration.
Christian Castro appeared in a federal court in Texas, facing six charges related to making “materially false” statements to investigators, as revealed in court documents made public on Friday.
He surrendered to authorities the previous evening.
A judge granted Castro release on a $75,000 unsecured bond and mandated the use of an ankle monitor.
The charges are linked to the shooting incident on January 14, where Julio Cesar Sosa-Celis, a Venezuelan man, sustained a leg injury.
Prior to the shooting, Castro and a partner were attempting to stop a vehicle.
The driver, also a Venezuelan citizen, fled, resulting in a foot chase.
According to the indictment, Castro caught up to the driver, and a physical altercation occurred.
Sosa-Celis tried to assist the driver, leading both men to retreat into a nearby apartment duplex and shut the door.
Castro then drew his service weapon and fired a single shot through the front door, which hit Sosa-Celis in the leg, as stated by federal prosecutors.
During the incident, two toddlers and two women were present inside the residence, prosecutors noted.
In an effort to explain his actions, Castro allegedly told investigators that he was attacked by multiple individuals wielding various tools and claimed he was struck with a broom and a snow shovel during the encounter.
He also asserted that he was on his back when he fired at the fleeing individuals, according to officials.
However, video evidence later contradicted his statements, leading to an investigation.
Federal prosecutors indicated that Castro was actually standing when he discharged his weapon, contesting his assertion that he was engaged in a ground struggle with the suspect for three minutes; they reported that the confrontation actually lasted around 11 seconds.
This shooting transpired during a targeted campaign against illegal immigration in Minneapolis.
Castro faces additional charges in Minnesota and had been arrested earlier in Texas in May.
The situation has sparked a legal dispute involving Texas Governor Greg Abbott, who has declined to extradite Castro to Minnesota.
