ICE Agent Charged With Assault in Minneapolis Doorway Shooting

A federal immigration agent has been charged with assault for shooting a Venezuelan man through the door of a Minneapolis residence in January, with prosecutors alleging the agent's account of being attacked was false and contradicted by video evidence. Hennepin County Attorney Mary Moriarty announced the charges Monday against Immigration and Customs Enforcement agent Christian Castro.

Castro, 52, faces four felony counts of second-degree assault with a deadly weapon and one misdemeanor count of falsely reporting a crime. A warrant has been issued for his arrest. The charges stem from a January 14 incident in north Minneapolis during a federal immigration enforcement operation known as Operation Metro Surge.

According to the criminal complaint, Castro fired his service weapon at the front door of a home, knowing four adults had just run inside. The bullet struck Julio Cesar SosaCelis in the leg before passing through a closet and lodging in the wall of a child's bedroom. Moriarty stated that Castro was not under any physical threat when he fired and was not hit by any object.

The shooting victim, SosaCelis, and another man, Alfredo Alejandro Aljorna, were initially charged by...