ICE Agent Charged in Minnesota Shooting Released From Texas Jail
The ICE agent accused of shooting an immigrant in Minnesota in January was released from a Texas jail on Thursday. Here is a closer look at the case and why Texas and Minnesota are in a heated battle about the issue.
Texas Can't Be Forced to Extradite Him
Christian Castro, the Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agent charged with shooting a Venezuelan immigrant in Minneapolis earlier in the year, was released from prison on August 27 after a federal judge decided that Texas did not have to extradite him to Minnesota. The 52-year-old had been held in a jail in Brownsville, Texas, since being arrested in May in connection with the shooting of Julio Cesar Sosa-Celis.
Despite being released, Castro still faces four counts of second-degree assault as well as one count of falsely reporting a crime. Sosa-Celis was wounded in the leg during the shooting.
According to prosecutors, Castro fired his weapon through the front door of a home in Minneapolis during the incident. Prosecutors also allege that Castro falsely told law enforcement officials that Sosa-Celis and another man had attacked an ICE officer.
Officials in Minnesota wanted to initially keep Castro in custody while they requested extradition. Prosecutors warned that Castro might flee to Mexico if he were released. However, U.S. District Judge Fernando Rodriguez Jr. saw the case differently, ruling on Wednesday that he did not have the legal authority to force Texas Gov. Greg Abbott to agree to Minnesota's request for extradition. As a result, Castro's 90-day detention period expired, and he was released.
Tension Between Texas and Minnesota
The Castro case is just another flashpoint in the ongoing fight over ICE and its role in the U.S. Specifically, Texas and Minnesota state officials have also experienced increased tension due to this specific case. Democratic Minnesota Attorney General Keith Ellison has accused Abbott of intentionally delaying the extradition. Minnesota Governor Tim Walz specifically put in the request for the extradition; however, Abbott refused, citing political disputes and attempting to tie the case to alleged political fraud in Minnesota.
Additionally, Abbott has questioned whether Castro is a fugitive under the law. Abbott's office confirmed that it is in the process of reviewing the extradition request as officials in Minnesota continue to argue that Castro should be returned to face the state charges levied against him.
“I don’t trust Tim Walz on anything, let alone something like this,” Abbott commented last week when asked about the situation. He went on to say that he would not respond to leaders in Minnesota until the state takes ownership of the alleged fraud and pays back the federal government.
On the other side of the aisle, Minnesota maintains that Abbott is handling Castro's case differently than other extradition requests over the years. According to the lawsuit brought by Minnesota, the governor of the Lone Star State approved at least 10 Minnesota extradition requests over the last five years. In fact, he approved three other requests from Minnesota during the time period that Castro's request was pending.
The January 14, 2026 shooting has also been put under the microscope. Castro first said that he fired his weapon after Sosa-Celis and another man in the house rushed toward an ICE agent holding a shovel and a broom. However, video evidence later prompted officials to allege that the ICE officers had not been truthful about what exactly transpired that day.
The shooting unfolded during what was supposed to be a routine immigration operation in Minneapolis. ICE has placed Castro on administrative leave while the case proceeds.
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