ICE Officer Faces Charges for False Statements in Venezuelan Man Shooting Investigation

Federal prosecutors have accused an Immigration and Customs Enforcement officer of providing false information to investigators regarding the circumstances surrounding the January shooting of a Venezuelan man during a Minneapolis immigration enforcement operation, a source familiar with the case said.

The source, who is not authorized to speak publicly about the investigation, requested anonymity.

According to the source, Christian Castro, the officer alleged to have shot Julio Cesar Sosa‑Celis in the leg in January, faces charges of making false statements to federal investigators.

The sealed federal charges come after Castro was released from jail last week, following Texas Governor Greg Abbott’s decision not to immediately sign an extradition warrant that would have transferred him to Minnesota officials, who have separately charged him with assault and filing a false report related to the same incident.

Initially, federal authorities alleged that Sosa‑Celis and another individual assaulted the officer with a broom handle and a snow shovel during the encounter.

However, prosecutors later dismissed those charges after video footage indicated the officers might have misrepresented the incident, prompting the launch of an investigation.

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