Feds charge ICE agent over false statements in Minneapolis shooting

It's the first known instance of the government prosecuting a federal agent for actions taken during Operation Metro Surge.(CN) — Federal prosecutors charged a U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement officer this week with lying to investigators about the events leading up to a January shooting in Minneapolis where the agent shot a Venezuelan man, reports say.Reports indicate the indictment will be unsealed once Castro is in custody.In May, Minnesota prosecutors charged Castro with four counts of assault and one count of falsely reporting a crime after the agent shot Julio Sosa-Celis, a Venezuelan national, during an attempted immigration arrest on Jan. 14.Prosecutors say Castro fired his service weapon through the front door of an occupied North Minneapolis home, striking Sosa-Celis in the leg before the bullet lodged in a child’s bedroom wall.While the Department of Homeland Security and Castro himself initially claimed Sosa-Celis and another man, Alfredo Aljorna, attacked an ICE officer with a broom handle and snow shovel before the shooting, surveillance video later released by the city contradicted that account.The Justice Department originally filed federal charges against Sosa-Celis and Aljorna, but hastily dropped them in February after “newly discovered evidence” refuted what was laid out in a sworn affidavit.Minnesota officials claim both men were “lawfully” in Minnesota at the time of the shooting and victims of a mistaken identity incident.ICE told Courthouse News in April both officers involved were placed on administrative leave without pay pending an investigation into the potentially false statements — adding lying under oath is a serious federal offense.Texas Rangers arrested Castro in May on the Minnesota charges, holding him in Brownsville, Texas, while Minnesota officials sought extradition. State leaders have shown concern that Castro may flee to Mexico now that he’s been released.Texas Governor Greg Abbott, whom Minnesota sued to compel extradition of the agent, wrote in a July 31 letter he had “serious doubts that the prerequisites for extradition have been met” — later praising the judge’s decision to deny Minnesota’s request.“The court was right to reject Governor Walz’s absurd claim,” Andrew Mahaleris, Abbott’s press secretary, told Courthouse News. “The Constitution requires deliberate consideration of extradition requests and tasks Governor Abbott to ‘decide, upon such evidence as he may deem satisfactory’ whether ’the person demanded is a fugitive.’ Today’s order rebuffs Minnesota’s efforts to conscript federal courts into commandeering the authority of Governor Abbott’s office.”Following the ruling, Minnesota Attorney General Keith Ellison accused Abbott of turning Texas into a sanctuary state for violent criminals in a statement, reiterating that Castro will face judgment in Minnesota.Castro is the second ICE agent Minnesota has charged for actions committed during Operation Metro Surge, but is the first known instance of an agent being charged by the Justice Department for the Minnesota operation.In April, Minnesota prosecutors charged ICE agent Gregory Donnell Morgan Jr. with second-degree assault for pointing a gun at the heads of two civilians in a vehicle while driving illegally on the shoulder of a highway.Morgan Jr. has yet to make a court appearance.The Justice Department did not respond to an initial request for comment and clarification of Castro’s charges.Subscribe to our free newslettersOur weekly newsletter Closing Arguments offers the latest about ongoing trials, major litigation and rulings in courthouses around the U.S. and the world, while the monthly Under the Lights dishes the legal dirt from Hollywood, sports, Big Tech and the arts.Additional Reads