ICE Agent Charged After Venezuelan Man Was Shot During Immigration Operation in Minnesota
Posted on 05/19/26 at 19:38
- ICE agent charged after shooting
- Venezuelan injured during operation
- Protests follow immigration raid
Prosecutors in Minnesota filed four charges Monday against an agent with U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), accused of shooting Venezuelan national Julio C. Sosa-Celis during Operation Metro Surge, described as the largest immigration enforcement campaign carried out by the Department of Homeland Security in the state.
The case once again places federal immigration operations in the United States under scrutiny and reignites debate over the criminal accountability of federal agents involved in incidents with civilians.
Agent faces serious charges in Minnesota
Ver esta publicación en Instagram
According to EFE, the charges were filed against Christian Castro, a 52-year-old ICE agent.
According to The New York Times, he faces second-degree assault charges, considered a felony, as well as a misdemeanor charge for filing a false report.
The incident occurred on January 14.
Julio C. Sosa-Celis suffered a gunshot wound to the leg during the operation.
The Venezuelan national was one of three people shot by federal agents during Operation Metro Surge in Minnesota.
You may also like: Venezuelan Government Pushes Massive Return of Migrants From the United States
Christian Castro became the second agent charged with serious crimes linked to the immigration operation.
The operation mobilized nearly 4,000 ICE agents and Border Patrol officers across multiple areas of the state.
The deployment sparked strong protests and criticism from residents and civil rights organizations.
“His federal badge does not shield him from state criminal charges for his conduct in Minnesota,” said Mary Moriarty, the prosecutor for Hennepin County, where the charges were filed.
Clash between federal and state authorities
The case also created tension between federal and state authorities.
The Department of Homeland Security previously argued that state authorities do not have the power to investigate or prosecute federal agents.
That argument is based on the Supremacy Clause of the United States Constitution.
The clause establishes that federal laws take precedence over state laws.
However, Minnesota officials argue that the legal protection is not absolute.
According to The New York Times, prosecutor Mary Moriarty said state investigators heard FBI agents mention Castro’s name shortly after the shooting.
Until then, the identity of the agent involved had not been publicly disclosed.
The state investigation later confirmed the agent’s identity.
Still, federal authorities have not officially confirmed that Castro was the person who shot Sosa-Celis.
Operation Metro Surge left injuries and deaths
Operation Metro Surge resulted in multiple casualties in Minnesota.
In addition to those wounded, citizens Renee Good and Alex Prett died after being shot by ICE agents during the operation.
Public protests intensified after details of the incidents became known.
Following the shooting, Julio C. Sosa-Celis and his roommate, Alfredo A. Aljorna — also Venezuelan and without legal immigration status — were charged with serious federal crimes.
Authorities initially claimed both men had participated in an attempted murder against a federal agent.
However, those charges were later dropped.
The federal government’s version of events could not be supported during the investigation.
The case continues to draw public attention because of the scale of Operation Metro Surge and the ongoing legal debate surrounding the accountability of federal agents during immigration enforcement operations in the United States.
