ICE agent charged with lying under oath about Minnesota shooting

What the report says

Federal prosecutors in the United States have charged Immigration and Customs Enforcement officer Christian Castro with lying under oath about a January shooting in Minnesota, according to Al Jazeera’s reporting based on federal charging documents and other news agency accounts. Prosecutors say Castro gave false statements to investigators about the confrontation that ended with him firing through the door of a home occupied by several people.

The case stems from an immigration enforcement stop involving Castro and another agent. After a traffic stop, the agents chased Venezuelan national Alfredo Aljorna to a house he shared with Julio Cesar Sosa-Celis. According to the charging documents described by Al Jazeera, Castro fired through a closed door after the men ran inside. Sosa-Celis was struck in the leg, and a witness said children were in the home at the time.

Al Jazeera reported that video footage contradicted Castro’s account and that then-acting ICE chief Todd Lyons said sworn statements by two officers appeared untruthful. Castro also faces state felony charges in Minnesota, including assault with a dangerous weapon, and the state had sought to extradite him from Texas. Texas Governor Greg Abbott declined to cooperate, and Castro was later released after a 90-day detention limit under Texas law.

The case is notable because it is a rare federal prosecution tied to alleged misconduct by an immigration officer during the Trump administration’s intensified deportation campaign. Al Jazeera also noted broader concern from civil rights groups and legal experts about immigration enforcement tactics and accountability.