ICE Officer Pleads Not Guilty To Lying About Minneapolis Shooting, Wins Release On Bond
On Friday, September 4, 2026, Immigration and Customs Enforcement officer Christian Castro pleaded not guilty in federal court in McAllen, Texas, to charges that he lied about a January shooting.[1]
Castro turned himself in Thursday evening, September 3, 2026.[1] A judge ordered him released from federal custody on a $75,000 unsecured bond and required him to wear a GPS ankle monitor.[1]
In January, Castro shot Julio Cesar Sosa-Celis during an ICE operation in Minneapolis.[1] The indictment alleges Castro told an FBI agent he was attacked with a red broom and a snow shovel.[1] It says he instead fired a shot through a front door while standing as Sosa-Celis and another man closed it with a 1-year-old child inside.[1]
Federal prosecutors initially charged Sosa-Celis and Alfredo Alejandro Aljorna with assault, but they later dropped those charges after video evidence raised questions about Castro's account.[1] The unsealed indictment is the Justice Department's first prosecution of a federal officer tied to the 2026 Operation Metro Surge in Minnesota.[2]
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📌 Key Facts
- On Friday, September 4, 2026, ICE officer Christian Castro pleaded not guilty in federal court in McAllen, Texas, to charges of lying about the January shooting of Julio Cesar Sosa-Celis.
- After turning himself in Thursday evening, September 3, 2026, the judge ordered Castro released from federal custody on a $75,000 unsecured bond with a GPS ankle monitor.
- The indictment alleges Castro falsely told an FBI agent he was attacked with a red broom and a snow shovel and fired while on the ground, but that he instead fired a shot through the front door while standing as Julio Cesar Sosa-Celis and another man closed it with a 1-year-old child inside.
- Federal prosecutors initially charged Julio Cesar Sosa-Celis and Alfredo Alejandro Aljorna with assault, but those charges were later dropped after video evidence raised questions about Castro’s account.
- The article says this is the first Justice Department prosecution of a federal officer for actions taken during 2026's Operation Metro Surge immigration crackdown in Minnesota.
- Castro has been suspended from ICE since February 2026 while authorities pursued the investigation.
📰 Source Timeline (2)
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- On Friday, September 4, 2026, ICE officer Christian Castro pleaded not guilty in federal court in McAllen, Texas, to charges of lying about the January shooting of Julio Cesar Sosa-Celis.
- The judge ordered Castro released from federal custody on a $75,000 unsecured bond with a GPS ankle monitor after he turned himself in Thursday evening, September 3, 2026.
- The indictment alleges Castro falsely told an FBI agent he was attacked with a red broom and a snow shovel and fired while on the ground, but says he instead fired a shot through the front door while standing as Sosa-Celis and another man closed it with a 1-year-old child inside.
- The article notes this is the first Justice Department prosecution of a federal officer for actions taken during this year's Operation Metro Surge immigration crackdown in Minnesota.
- Federal prosecutors initially charged Sosa-Celis and Alfredo Alejandro Aljorna with assault, but those charges were later dropped after video evidence showed Castro may have lied about the encounter.
- Castro has been suspended from ICE since February 2026 while authorities pursued the investigation.