Minnesota Charges ICE Officer In January Shooting Of Legally Present Resident
Hennepin County charged ICE agent Christian Castro with assault Monday over a Jan. 14, 2026, shooting through a Minneapolis front door that wounded Julio Sosa-Celis.[1]
Hennepin County Attorney Mary Moriarty said Castro shot knowing the people who had run inside posed "absolutely no threat." MS NOW A bullet passed through the door, struck Sosa-Celis in the leg and lodged in the wall of a child's bedroom.[1]
Operation Metro Surge began in December 2025 as an ICE operation targeting Venezuelan migrants in Minneapolis.[2] The Department of Homeland Security initially said Sosa-Celis and another person attacked the officer with a shovel or broomstick and that the officer fired defensively.[1] Federal prosecutors later dismissed those charges and said they are reviewing officers' statements.[1]
The Wall Street Journal said the criminal case is among the first recent instances of a local prosecutor charging a federal immigration agent over an on-duty shooting.[2] Minnesota sued the Trump administration in March 2026 over its refusal to include state investigators in federal officer-involved shooting probes.[1] Hennepin County has launched its own investigations after the FBI reversed course and stopped joint work with the Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension on at least one case.[1]
Show source details & analysis (3 sources)
📌 Key Facts
- During Operation Metro Surge, which began in December 2025, an ICE operation targeting Venezuelan migrants, an ICE officer fired through the front door of a Minneapolis residence on January 14, 2026 while the operation was underway (Operation Metro Surge).
- Hennepin County has charged ICE agent Christian Castro with assault over the January 14, 2026 shooting in Minneapolis (Christian Castro).
- Hennepin County Attorney Mary Moriarty said Castro shot knowing the people who had just run inside presented “absolutely no threat,” and a bullet passed through the front door, struck Julio Sosa-Celis in the leg and lodged in the wall of a child’s bedroom (Julio Sosa-Celis).
- The Department of Homeland Security initially said Sosa-Celis and another person attacked the ICE officer with a shovel or broomstick and that the officer fired a defensive shot, but federal prosecutors later dismissed those charges and are reviewing officers’ statements (Department of Homeland Security).
- Minnesota officials sued the Trump administration in March 2026 over its refusal to include state investigators in federal officer-involved shooting probes, citing cases such as Renee Good and Alex Pretti and alleging the state was cut off mid-investigation by the FBI (Minnesota officials).
- After the FBI reversed course and stopped joint work with the Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension on at least one case, Hennepin County launched its own investigations into federal officer shootings (Hennepin County).
- The Wall Street Journal reports the criminal case against Castro is among the first in recent years in which a local prosecutor has charged a federal immigration agent over an on-duty shooting, and that state and federal investigators initially diverged over whether the officer faced an imminent threat when he fired through the closed front door (Wall Street Journal).
📰 Source Timeline (3)
Follow how coverage of this story developed over time
- Article reports that the January 14, 2026 shooting occurred during an ICE operation targeting Venezuelan migrants in Minneapolis under Operation Metro Surge, adding detail on the broader crackdown context.
- Wall Street Journal provides additional narrative on how state and federal investigators initially diverged over whether the ICE officer faced an imminent threat when he fired through the closed front door.
- The piece notes that the criminal case against officer Christian Castro is among the first in recent years in which a local prosecutor has charged a federal immigration agent over an on-duty shooting, underscoring its rarity.
- Article states that during Operation Metro Surge, which began in December 2025, ICE agent Christian Castro fired through the front door of a Minneapolis residence on January 14, 2026, intending to cause immediate bodily harm or death to four adults just inside.
- Hennepin County Attorney Mary Moriarty said Castro shot knowing the people who had just run inside presented "absolutely no threat" to him or anyone else, and that a bullet passed through the door, struck Julio Sosa-Celis in the leg, and lodged in the wall of a child's bedroom.
- The piece recounts that the Department of Homeland Security initially claimed Sosa-Celis and another person attacked the ICE officer with a shovel or broomstick and that the officer fired a defensive shot, but that federal prosecutors later dismissed those charges and are reviewing officers' statements.
- Minnesota officials previously sued the Trump administration in March 2026 over its refusal to include state investigators in federal officer-involved shooting probes, citing cases including the killings of Renee Good and Alex Pretti and the state being cut off mid-investigation by the FBI.
- Hennepin County has launched its own investigations into federal officer shootings after the FBI reversed course and stopped joint work with the Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension on at least one case.