Minnesota authorities arrested an Immigration and Customs Enforcement agent accused of shooting a Venezuelan immigrant during Operation Metro Surge, bringing a monthslong legal battle over his prosecution to a new stage.
Christian Castro was arrested on Wednesday in Minneapolis and booked into the Hennepin County jail on an active warrant, according to officials.
Castro faces four felony counts of second-degree assault with a dangerous weapon and one misdemeanor count of falsely reporting a crime in connection with the nonfatal shooting of Venezuelan national Julio Cesar Sosa-Celis during the federal immigration operation in January.
Hennepin County Attorney Mary Moriarty said Castro was taken into custody by the Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension.
“Mr. Castro was taken into custody by the Bureau of Criminal Apprehension earlier today in Minneapolis,” Moriarty said in a statement on Wednesday. “We’re grateful to the BCA for their collaboration throughout. Gov. Abbott’s attempt to shield Mr. Castro from accountability has failed. We look forward to commencing our prosecution.”
Castro’s bail was set at $200,000, according to jail records. He is scheduled to appear in Hennepin County court on Thursday afternoon.
Castro told federal authorities that he shot Sosa-Celis after the man attacked him with a shovel. But prosecutors later said video footage and witness accounts contradicted Castro’s statement.
A Minnesota judge issued a nationwide warrant for Castro’s arrest, and he was subsequently arrested in Texas in May. Minnesota officials then sought to have him extradited to the state.
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The extradition request sparked a legal battle between Minnesota and Texas. Minnesota Attorney General Keith Ellison (D) sued Texas Gov. Greg Abbott (R-TX), arguing that Abbott’s refusal to sign an extradition warrant was preventing Minnesota from prosecuting Castro. But Abbott claimed he wasn’t certain Castro was a fugitive under the law since Castro had returned to Texas for work, not in an attempt to flee authorities.
A federal judge ruled that Minnesota’s lawsuit was premature, allowing Castro to be freed from Texas jail on Aug. 27, which was 90 days after his arrest.
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[ H/T Washington Examiner ]
