Federal prosecutors are considering criminal charges against Christian Castro, an Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) officer accused of shooting a Venezuelan immigrant in the leg during a January 2026 immigration operation in Minnesota under the Trump administration.

Castro was charged in May 2026 by local Minnesota prosecutors with four counts of second-degree assault and one count of falsely reporting a crime related to the incident. He was arrested shortly afterward in Texas and is currently held in a Cameron County jail. However, Texas Governor Greg Abbott has refused to extradite him to Minnesota.

The Justice Department previously dropped federal charges against two men involved in the case in February 2026 after discovering "newly discovered evidence" that was "materially inconsistent" with the allegations.

Todd Lyons, former head of ICE, stated that Castro and another officer were placed on administrative leave after video evidence review suggested they provided "untruthful statements" in sworn testimony.

An FBI affidavit supporting charges against the two men indicated that Aljorna fled the scene in a car, while Sosa-Celis initially struck the ICE officer with a broomstick as Castro attempted to arrest Aljorna.

A cellphone video shared by a state lawmaker shows a woman telling a 911 operator that her husband was chased by ICE agents before being shot in front of his family.

The case continues to unfold as federal authorities deliberate on potential charges against Castro.

Source: CBS Politics

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