ICE officer charged in Minnesota with shooting death of immigrant

Prosecutors announced Monday that an Immigration and Customs Enforcement officer has been indicted on four counts of assault in the January shooting death of a Venezuelan immigrant in Minneapolis.

ICE officer Christian Castro was also charged with filing a false crime report in connection with the Jan. 14 shooting death of Julio Sosascelis, according to the Hennepin County Attorney’s Office.

The shooting occurred one week after another ICE agent shot and killed American citizen Renee Good in Minneapolis.

Mr. Castro, who is not in custody, is the second federal officer to face criminal charges related to his actions during Operation Metro Surge, the Trump administration’s controversial immigration enforcement mission in Minneapolis and elsewhere in Minnesota.

In April, the Hennepin County Attorney’s Office charged ICE officer Gregory Donnell Morgan Jr. with assault for allegedly illegally driving an unmarked SUV on the shoulder of a Minneapolis freeway on February 5, then pointing a gun at the heads of two people in another car and trying to pass them.

In a Jan. 15 statement posted on the Department of Homeland Security’s website, ICE said Sosa-Celiz was shot and killed during a targeted traffic stop in north Minneapolis after he and two other “illegal aliens violently assaulted law enforcement with shovels and broomsticks in an attempt to evade arrest and obstruct law enforcement.”

However, video of the incident contradicted that claim. Prosecutors later dropped charges against Sosascelis and another man involved in the incident, Alfredo Algiorna, who had been accused of assaulting a federal employee.

“Video evidence reveals that sworn statements provided by two separate officers appear to have made false statements,” Todd Lyons, then acting director of Immigration and Customs Enforcement, said in a Feb. 12 statement.

“Both officers have been immediately placed on administrative leave pending the completion of a thorough internal investigation,” Lyons said.

On Monday, the Hennepin County Attorney’s Office announced charges against Castro, saying the 52-year-old ICE agent fired his weapon “from the front door of a home knowing there were people who had just taken refuge inside.”

“The bullet passed through the door, hit Mr. Sosascelis in the leg, and finally hit the wall of the child’s room,” the agency said in a statement.

“He was alone outside his home in his front yard when he fired a gun from the front door,” the department said, contrasting ICE’s claim that agents shot and killed Sosascelis after the agents “relaxed and began hitting the officers with shovels and broomsticks.”

“Mr. Castro is an ICE officer, but just because he has a federal badge does not exempt him from state prosecution for criminal activity in Minnesota,” Hennepin County Attorney Mary Moriarty said in a statement.

“Mr. Castro fired the gun from the front door of his home, without physical threat or coercion, while standing alone in his front yard, knowing there were people who had taken refuge inside,” Moriarty said.

“No one is above the law, including ICE officers,” Minnesota Attorney General Keith Ellison said in a statement.

“Minnesota must hold its citizens accountable for breaking the law and harming Minnesotans,” Ellison said.

ICE condemned the prosecution of its agents in a statement.

“These actions by Minnesota sanctuary politicians are illegal and nothing more than a political stunt,” an ICE spokesperson told CNBC.

“Lying under oath is a serious federal crime. The U.S. Attorney’s Office is actively investigating these statements. Upon completion of the investigation, the officers face possible criminal prosecution as well as disciplinary action up to and including termination,” the spokesperson said.

“The men and women of ICE are charged with upholding the rule of law and are expected to maintain the highest standards of professionalism, integrity, and ethical behavior. Violations of this sacred oath will not be tolerated.”