At Campos Law Firm, we closely monitor developments in U.S. immigration policy to protect our clients’ rights and future. On September 16, 2026, Minnesota state agents arrested Christian Castro, an Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) officer, in downtown Minneapolis over the shooting that wounded a Venezuelan man during Operation Metro Surge.
One point this blog never skips: these are charges, and Castro is presumed innocent. Here is what is known, what is not, and what you can do.
What happened, and what are the charges?
On January 14, 2026, during Operation Metro Surge, Castro and his partner chased a man in front of a north Minneapolis duplex. According to the federal indictment, Castro fired through a closed door and wounded Julio Cesar Sosa-Celis, a Venezuelan national who was 24 at the time, in the leg. Several people were inside, including two children.
There are two separate cases, and they should not be blended:
- State charges: Minnesota charged him on May 18, 2026 with four counts of second-degree assault and one count of falsely reporting a crime, filed by Hennepin County Attorney Mary Moriarty.
- Federal charges: a federal grand jury in McAllen, Texas, charged him with six counts of making false statements to an FBI agent. The indictment was unsealed on September 4, 2026. Castro pleaded not guilty.
The indictment says Castro claimed he had been attacked with a broom and a snow shovel and that he fired while on his back. Surveillance video contradicted that account: the struggle lasted roughly 11 seconds, not the approximately three minutes he described. In February 2026, charges filed against Sosa-Celis and his roommate were dropped.
Why did the case take so long?
Because the officer was in Texas. ICE had reassigned Castro there, and Governor Greg Abbott did not sign the extradition paperwork. Minnesota Attorney General Keith Ellison sued Abbott on August 18, 2026, but U.S. District Judge Fernando Rodriguez Jr. denied the request on August 26, finding that the law sets no deadline for the asylum state’s governor to decide.
Castro was released on August 27. Only when he traveled to Minneapolis was he arrested, by Minnesota’s Bureau of Criminal Apprehension. The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) has kept him suspended without pay since February 2026.
One detail circulated incorrectly in several summaries: there is no ongoing federal civil rights investigation. According to MPR News and CBS News, federal prosecutors decided in late August 2026 not to bring civil rights charges over the shooting. The federal charges that do exist are about lying, not about the shooting itself.
What does this case mean for you?
It does not mean enforcement operations stop, or that an arrest is voided because an officer behaved badly. It means something narrower: what gets documented, counts.
Here, municipal camera footage is what dismantled the officer’s account and led to charges against two immigrants being dropped. Without that video, the file would read very differently.
- A criminal charge against you is not final: it can fall apart when the official account does not hold up. That is why your attorney should request video and reports.
- An officer’s conduct can matter in your immigration case: it does not erase the case, but it can support a bond request or a defense.
- You have the right to remain silent and to ask for a lawyer, no matter how insistent the officer is.
What should you do if you witness or suffer an abuse?
- Do not resist physically: even an unlawful arrest becomes a new charge if you resist. That fight is won later, on paper.
- Record from a safe distance: in a public space you may record. Do not interfere or move closer.
- Write down the details: date, time, exact address, number of officers, vehicle plates, which agency they said they were with.
- Get medical care and keep the report: a dated medical record is evidence.
- File the complaint: the DHS Office for Civil Rights and Civil Liberties and the DHS Inspector General accept complaints. Do it with legal guidance so it does not hurt your immigration case.
- Do not sign anything without talking to an attorney.
Protect Your Immigration Status with Campos Law Firm
When an operation goes wrong, the difference between a file that holds and one that collapses usually lies in details nobody wrote down in time. At Campos Law Firm, we work with families caught in the middle of these operations: we request the records, review whether the arrest followed the law, and build the defense on what the record actually shows. We do not make unrealistic promises. We provide serious legal representation backed by preparation and integrity.
Do not leave your immigration status to chance. Call us today at +1 (844) 922-6767 to schedule a free, confidential consultation in English or Spanish. Campos Law Firm: Legal Solutions in All Areas of Law.
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