A Jan. 14 immigration arrest in north Minneapolis has now become a criminal case against a federal officer. ICE officer Christian Castro allegedly fired through a front door and wounded Julio Cesar Sosa-Celis in the leg.
Hennepin County Attorney Mary Moriarty charged Castro with four counts of second-degree assault with a dangerous weapon and one count of falsely reporting a crime.
A nationwide warrant has been issued for Castro's arrest.
The case deserves a clean look because the facts have already moved. Federal authorities first described the shooting as an attack on an ICE officer. Then-DHS Secretary Kristi Noem said the incident involved violence against federal law enforcement.
Federal charges followed against Sosa-Celis and Alfredo Alejandro Aljorna. Later, U.S. Attorney Daniel Rosen's office moved to dismiss those charges after newly discovered evidence proved “materially inconsistent” with the original allegations, as NBC reports.
Video footage released of the incident in February and April appeared to contradict the agency’s account, showing one man standing with a shovel near a home before dropping it while another man runs towards the residence empty-handed. An officer then tackles one of the men.
In mid-February, then-DHS acting ICE Director Todd Lyons said a review of video evidence revealed that two officers appeared “to have made untruthful statements” in sworn testimony.
Both officers were placed on administrative leave pending the completion of an investigation, Lyons said in the statement. He added that “a joint review by ICE and the Department of Justice (DOJ) of video evidence has revealed that sworn testimony provided by two separate officers appears to have made untruthful statements.
“Lying under oath is a serious federal offense,” Lyons said at the time. “Upon conclusion of the investigation, the officers may face termination of employment, as well as potential criminal prosecution,” he said.
Sitting at the center of the story are the video, surveillance footage, witness statement, and physical evidence that reportedly challenged Castro's claim that he faced an attack with a broom and shovel before opening fire. KSTP reports on how the DHS addressed the incident.
The case stems from a Jan. 14 chase that resulted in the shooting of Julio Sosa-Celis, a Venezuelan national who the Department of Homeland Security claimed had fled from a traffic stop and was shot after retreating from a struggle with the ICE officer.
Homeland Security initially said three people assaulted the ICE officer with a snow shovel and broom handles, but video of the incident released by the City of Minneapolis contradicts that claim. Witnesses had also said the agent shot at Sosa-Celis through the front door of his home.
Federal charges against Sosa-Celis and his roommate, Alfredo Alejandro Aljorna, were dismissed with prejudice after government prosecutors said “newly discovered evidence” clashed with the accounts of the ICE agents involved.
Last month, Minneapolis released city security footage that opened up speculation.
Those two agents were placed on leave while Homeland Security investigated whether they lied under oath.
If the vest camera and surveillance recordings back the charges, Castro should answer for his conduct, but if the footage raises doubt, prosecutors need to answer hard questions of their own.
Moriarty brings political baggage into the case whether she likes it or not. She's the elected Hennepin County Attorney, and progressive groups supported her 2022 campaign. The Washington Examiner lays it out.
The Minnesota prosecutor who charged a federal immigration agent with felony assault received more than $286,000 in backing from far-left political groups and dark-money nonprofits, according to campaign finance filings reviewed by the Washington Examiner, raising scrutiny as tensions escalate between federal authorities and local officials.
State campaign finance records show Moriarty’s 2022 campaign was heavily supported by progressive-aligned organizations, despite running as a nonpartisan candidate. The number of donations taken from far-left groups may even exceed $500,000, according to the Law Enforcement Legal Defense Fund, which monitors donations flowing to “Soros prosecutors” across the country. Liberal megadonor George Soros’s philanthropy, Open Society Foundation, gave generous grants to the progressive groups that funded Morarity’s campaign.
A law enforcement group has tied her support to networks associated with George Soros, while other campaign reporting placed outside progressive spending in the six-figure range.
None of that proves guilt or innocence, but it does explain why many Americans won't view the prosecution through clear glass.
The left has spent so much time turning ICE into a villain in uniform; the right spent years defending federal immigration officers against that smear; and both habits can blur judgment.
A fair prosecution requires evidence strong enough to survive politics, press conferences, and campaign donors. A fair defense deserves the same ground.
America doesn't need another case where everybody chooses a team before seeing the tape. The country needs the camera, the reports, the timeline, and the sworn testimony.
If Castro lied and unlawfully fired, prosecute him. If prosecutors overreach because ICE has become a political trophy, expose that, too.
Justice can't wear a campaign button, and it can't carry a federal badge as a hall pass.
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