Christian Castro, 52, had been held in Brownsville since his May arrest after allegedly shooting a Venezuelan immigrant in the leg
Credit: CHARLY TRIBALLEAU/AFP via Getty
NEED TO KNOW
- Christian Castro faces charges including assault and false reporting after a January shooting involving a Venezuelan immigrant
- A federal judge ruled Texas Gov. Greg Abbott cannot be forced to act on Minnesota’s extradition request for Castro
- The case has sparked tensions between Minnesota and Texas, with officials disputing Castro’s fugitive status and extradition delay
Christian Castro, the Immigration and Customs Enforcement agent charged in connection with the shooting of a Venezuelan immigrant in Minneapolis, was released from a Texas jail Thursday, Aug. 27, after a federal judge declined to force the state to extradite him to Minnesota, according to multiple reports.
Castro, 52, had been held in Brownsville, Texas, since his May arrest on a Minnesota warrant. He faces four counts of second-degree assault and one count of falsely reporting a crime over the January shooting of Julio Cesar Sosa-Celis, who was wounded in the leg, according to The Associated Press and The New York Times. Prosecutors allege Castro fired through the front door of a Minneapolis home and later falsely told authorities that Sosa-Celis and another man had attacked an ICE officer.
Minnesota officials had sought to keep Castro in custody while they pursued his extradition, warning that he could flee to Mexico if released. But U.S. District Judge Fernando Rodriguez Jr. ruled Wednesday, Aug. 26, that he did not have the authority to compel Texas Gov. Greg Abbott to act on Minnesota’s extradition request, allowing Castro’s 90-day detention period to expire, according to the AP.
The case has become another flashpoint between Minnesota and Texas, with Minnesota Attorney General Keith Ellison, a Democrat, accusing Abbott, a Republican, of delaying the extradition. Abbott meanwhile has questioned whether Castro legally qualifies as a fugitive.
Abbott’s office has said it is still reviewing the request, while Minnesota officials argue that Castro should be returned to the state to face the charges against him.
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The January shooting itself has also drawn scrutiny. Castro initially claimed that Sosa-Celis and another man had rushed toward an ICE officer with a shovel and broom, prompting the shooting. However, subsequent video evidence led officials to claim that the officers involved had likely made untruthful statements about what happened.
Castro has been placed on administrative leave from ICE while the case proceeds.
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