A U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) officer has pleaded not guilty to charges of making false statements to investigators regarding a January shooting incident in Minneapolis. Christian Castro appeared in a Texas federal court Friday to face six charges of allegedly making “materially false” statements, according to federal court documents unsealed the same day.
Castro turned himself in to authorities Thursday evening and was released on a $75,000 unsecured bond with a required ankle monitor. The charges stem from the Jan. 14 shooting of Julio Cesar Sosa-Celis, a Venezuelan man who was struck in the leg by a single gunshot.
The incident occurred as Castro and his partner attempted to stop a vehicle. The driver fled, leading to a foot chase. Castro pursued the driver, and a physical struggle ensued, the indictment states. Sosa-Celis reportedly attempted to assist the driver, and both men fled into a nearby apartment duplex, shutting the door. Castro then discharged his service weapon, firing a shot through the front door and hitting Sosa-Celis in the leg. Two women and two one-year-old children were inside the home at the time.
Federal prosecutors allege that Castro provided false accounts to investigators to justify the shooting. He claimed he was attacked by multiple individuals wielding tools, including a broom and a snow shovel, and that he fired while on his back. However, video evidence reportedly contradicts these claims. Prosecutors assert that Castro was standing when he fired and that the struggle lasted approximately 11 seconds, not the three minutes Castro initially claimed.
The shooting took place during a period of heightened efforts to crack down on illegal immigration in Minneapolis. Castro faces separate charges in Minnesota and was previously arrested in Texas in May. His case has also become involved in a legal dispute with Texas Gov. Greg Abbott, who has reportedly refused to extradite him to Minnesota.