Feds charges ICE agent with lying about Minneapolis shooting: Report
ICE agent with active warrant in MN released from Texas jail
An ICE agent who is charged with a felony in Minnesota was released from a jail in Texas after a judge refused Minnesota's request for a temporary restraining order. FOX 9's Paul Blume explains what this means and what could come next.
(FOX 9) - The Department of Justice has charged ICE agent Christian Castro with making false statements connected to the shooting of a Venezuelan in Minneapolis in January, The Associated Press reports.
ICE agent charged
What we know:
A source tells The Associated Press that Castro is being charged with making false statements in connection with the shooting of Julio Cesar Sosa-Celis.
Castro claimed he shot Sosa-Celis after being attacked with a shovel and broom while attempting to make an arrest. However, surveillance video and witness statements ultimately contradicted his story.
The shooting came in the midst of the massive federal immigration operation in Minnesota. Sosa-Celis was shot one week against Renee Good and ten days before Alex Pretti.
The shooting led to a night of unrest in north Minneapolis, including the raiding of several federal vehicles left at the shooting scene.
The backstory:
Castro was charged with crimes in Hennepin County and arrested in Texas on a warrant in late May. However, Minnesota officials have been locked in a battle with Texas Governor Greg Abbott to force Castro's extradition. Ultimately, Castro was released last month after hitting a detention limit.
Minnesota sued Abbott, asking a judge to keep Castro detained while they fought to force the extradition. A judge ultimately ruled that Castro could be released because Abbott hadn't officially rejected the extradition. Abbott had told Minnesota he was awaiting a determination from his Secretary of State on whether Castro fit the legal definition of a fugitive.
According to the Texas governor, he wasn't sure Castro was a "fugitive" under the law because he was ordered to leave Minnesota by the Department of Homeland Security – he didn't leave the state to escape prosecution.
Civil rights charges considered?
Big picture view:
ProPublica reported on Wednesday that federal prosecutors in Minnesota were weighing civil rights charges against Castro, but the pursuit was quashed by officials in Washington. In a statement, DOJ officials said: "any charging decisions that come out of such investigations are collaborative and deliberative and adhere to the facts and law of that specific case and controversy."
What we don't know:
It's unclear if he is yet in federal custody. Minnesota officials worried he could be a flight risk, citing connections he had with a woman in Mexico.
The Source: This story uses information from The Associated Press and previous FOX 9 reporting.