ICE agent charged with lying over Minnesota migrant shooting

Christian Castro, a suspended Immigration and Customs Enforcement agent, is facing a federal charge of lying to investigators about the January 14 shooting of Venezuelan migrant Julio Cesar Sosa-Celis in Minneapolis.

Castro, 52, was one of two agents placed on leave earlier this year over allegations that they lied about the shooting, in which Sosa-Celis was wounded in the leg. He also faces Minnesota state charges of felony assault and falsely reporting a crime.

Minnesota prosecutors say Castro fired through the front door of a residence, striking Sosa-Celis in the leg. Federal prosecutors initially filed assault charges against Sosa-Celis and Alfredo Alejandro Aljorna, but later dropped them after video evidence and witness statements cast doubt on Castro's account.

ProPublica reported that federal prosecutors in Minnesota had sought civil rights charges against Castro over the shooting, but leaders at the Department of Justice in Washington blocked that effort.

Minnesota has demanded Castro's extradition from Texas to face the state charges, but Texas Governor Greg Abbott has so far refused to hand him over.

The shooting came during wider anger over federal immigration raids in Minneapolis, after federal agents shot and killed two US citizens in separate incidents in January, including Renee Good and Alex Pretti.