Judge blocks Minnesota’s attempt to extradite ICE agent from Texas
Fox News correspondent Christina Coleman reports from Dallas as a federal judge halts Minnesota’s effort to extradite ICE agent Christian Castro from Texas. Castro is facing allegations tied to the January shooting of a Venezuelan migrant during Operation Metro Surge in Minneapolis, while Texas Gov. Greg Abbott examines whether the officer can legally be considered a fugitive.
An Immigration and Customs Enforcement officer accused of misleading the FBI about a Minneapolis shooting in January entered a not-guilty plea Friday to six federal charges of making materially false statements.
Christian Castro appeared before a federal court in St. Paul, where prosecutors said he shot 24-year-old Julio Cesar Sosa-Celis in the leg through the front door of a Minneapolis residence during Operation Metro Surge.
Castro told investigators that he fired after being assaulted with a broom and a shovel. Prosecutors, however, contend that surveillance video does not support that version of events.
At Friday’s hearing, the 52-year-old Castro wore an ankle monitor and was ordered to limit his travel to Minnesota and South Texas. The judge also directed him to report any encounter or altercation involving law enforcement within 72 hours. He was released following the hearing.
Christian Castro, right, the immigration officer accused of shooting a Venezuelan man during an immigration enforcement operation in Minneapolis earlier this year and then lying to investigators, leaves the Warren E. Burger Federal Building in St. Paul, Minn., with attorney Daniel Gerdts after Friday’s hearing. (AP Photo/Ellen Schmidt)
Before appearing in Minnesota, Castro spent roughly 90 days in custody in Texas. His detention was extended in part because Abbott declined to sign an extradition warrant that would have transferred him to Minnesota authorities.
Following his release in his home state of Texas, Castro was booked in Minnesota last week. Conditions of his release included electronic monitoring, surrendering his passport and turning over his firearms.
He is now confronting both federal and state charges connected to the shooting.
Christian Castro faces accusations that he lied to investigators about a January 2026 shooting. (AP Photo/Ellen Schmidt)
Prosecutors said Castro lied about the circumstances of the shooting, which occurred during Operation Metro Surge, part of the Trump administration’s crackdown on illegal immigration. He said he was being attacked with a broom and shovel before he fired his weapon.
The law enforcement operation saw thousands of federal agents in Minnesota that resulted in sweeping arrests, as well as the fatal shootings of two U.S. citizens.
Texas Gov. Greg Abbott, left, and Minnesota Attorney General Keith Ellison, right, battled on X over whether an ICE agent involved in a recent shooting in Minneapolis should be extradited to Minnesota. (Getty Images)
Minnesota authorities have battled the Trump administration over who should handle any charges against Castro. The administration contends that only federal authorities have jurisdiction over the case.