WASHINGTON (AP) — Federal prosecutors have accused a U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement official of lying to investigators about the events leading up to the shooting of a Venezuelan man during the Minneapolis immigration crackdown earlier this year, a person familiar with the matter told The Associated Press. Christian Castro, the officer who authorities say shot Julio César Sosa-Celis in the leg in January, has been accused of making false statements to federal investigators, according to the person, who was not authorized to publicly discuss the investigation and spoke on condition of anonymity. The federal charges, which remain sealed, follow Castro’s release from jail last week after the governor of Texas refused to immediately sign an extradition order to hand him over to Minnesota authorities, who separately charged him with assault and falsely reporting a crime related to the same shooting. Federal authorities had initially accused Sosa-Celis and another man of hitting an officer with a broom handle and a snow shovel during the confrontation. But federal prosecutors dropped charges against the men after video evidence showed officers may have lied about the encounter, and officials opened an investigation. The charges stem from non-fatal shootings during Operation Metro Surge Castro is the first federal immigration officer prosecuted by the Trump administration in connection with actions taken during the massive Operation Metro Surge in the Twin Cities that began in January 2026. No attorney was listed for Castro in the case brought by Minnesota and it was not immediately clear if he had an attorney to speak on his behalf. The Department of Homeland Security sent thousands of agents to the Minneapolis and St. Paul area in what was the largest immigration enforcement operation ever conducted. The shooting deaths of U.S. citizens Renee Good and Alex Pretti at the hands of federal agents drew condemnation and raised questions about the agents’ conduct, prompting changes in the operation. Earlier this week, a federal prosecutor working on the case told attorneys for Sosa-Celis and other victims that Justice Department officials blocked the prosecutor’s move to bring a more serious civil rights charge against the officer in the shooting, ProPublica reported Wednesday. Sign up for the Ground Game newsletter: your guide to the biggest stories in American politics, policy and elections. But the person familiar with the investigation disputed the prosecutor’s characterization, saying the civil rights investigation continues and there has been no final decision on whether additional charges will be filed. The prosecutor, Matthew Evans, was fired Thursday and is now under investigation for allegedly obstructing a grand jury investigation, the person said. An automated email response from Evans’ Justice Department account said he was on leave. Other attempts to locate him were not immediately successful. Castro also faces charges by Minnesota authorities Castro was initially arrested in May in the Minnesota case, and was detained in Brownsville, Texas, a city bordering Mexico, while Minnesota officials sought his extradition. But Texas Gov. Greg Abbott refused to immediately approve, citing ongoing investigations into fraud in government social services programs in Minnesota, which Trump used to justify his immigration crackdown there. Minnesota officials had tried to prevent the Cameron County, Texas, sheriff from releasing Castro, fearing he would flee to Mexico. According to a lawsuit filed by Minnesota, Castro had a conversation with a woman while incarcerated where he talked about marrying her and buying a house in Mexico after his release. But Castro was freed a week ago after a federal judge refused to order Texas to extradite him. The Department of Homeland Security previously called Castro’s prosecution in Minnesota “illegal and nothing more than a political stunt,” saying only federal authorities have jurisdiction in the case. Castro was suspended during the federal investigation. Castro was suspended from ICE without pay in February while federal authorities carried out the investigation. “The men and women of ICE are entrusted with upholding the rule of law and are held to the highest standards of professionalism, integrity and ethical conduct,” the acting director of ICE at the time, Todd Lyons, said at the time. “Violation of this sacred oath will not be tolerated. ICE remains fully committed to transparency, accountability, and fair enforcement of our nation’s immigration laws.” Castro and another officer had chased another man, Alfredo Alejandro Aljorna, to the Minneapolis duplex apartment where he and Sosa-Celis lived. Minnesota prosecutors said the officer then falsely accused Sosa-Celis and another man of attacking an ICE officer with a broomstick and snow shovel. Lawyers for Sosa-Celis and Aljorna did not immediately respond to emails Thursday from the AP. ___ Associated Press reporter Valerie González in McAllen, Texas, contributed to this report.
