Federal Judge Denies Minnesota's Extradition Request for ICE Officer

<p>A federal judge on August 26, 2026, rejected Minnesota's emergency request to compel Texas to extradite an Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agent accused of shooting a Venezuelan man and allegedly lying about the incident, which may lead to the agent's release from jail.</p><p>Christian Castro, 52, faces four counts of second-degree assault and one count of falsely reporting a crime in Minnesota related to a shooting that occurred during an immigration enforcement operation in Minneapolis in January.</p><p>The judge denied Minnesota's request for a temporary restraining order that would have prevented the Cameron County sheriff from releasing Castro and required Texas Republican Governor Greg Abbott to sign an extradition warrant for Minnesota authorities to take custody of him.</p><p>Castro has been held in Texas since May. Under Texas law, a person held while awaiting extradition can be detained for up to 90 days, meaning Castro could be released as soon as August 27, according to The Associated Press.</p><p>Minnesota Attorney General Keith Ellison filed a lawsuit against Abbott last week to compel Castro's extradition and sought a temporary restraining order to prevent his release during the legal dispute.</p><p>Officials in Minnesota expressed concerns that Castro may be a flight risk, citing phone calls he made from jail to a woman in Mexico where he discussed plans to marry her and buy a house in Mexico upon his release, as reported by the Associated Press.</p><p>In January, Castro allegedly fired a gun at a residence in north Minneapolis with the intent to instill fear of immediate bodily harm or death to four adults inside. The bullet struck Venezuelan migrant Julio Sosa-Celis in the leg before traveling through a closet and into a child's bedroom wall, according to Hennepin County Attorney Mary Moriarty during a May news conference.</p><p>Castro allegedly misled federal investigators, claiming that Sosa-Celis and another man assaulted him with a broom handle and a snow shovel, which prompted him to fire his weapon in self-defense, as stated by Ellison during a recent news conference.</p><p>The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) initially asserted that Sosa-Celis attempted to evade arrest and violently assaulted a federal officer. The department claimed that two individuals emerged from a nearby apartment and attacked the officer with a snow shovel and broom handle.</p><p>According to DHS, Sosa-Celis then broke free and began striking the officer with a shovel or broomstick, leading the officer to fire a defensive shot that hit Sosa-Celis in the leg. Sosa-Celis and two others subsequently retreated into the apartment and barricaded themselves inside before ICE took them into custody.</p><p>Then-Acting ICE Director Todd Lyons announced in February a federal investigation into the incident after video footage indicated that sworn testimony from two officers appeared to contain untruthful statements.</p><p>“Lying under oath is a serious federal offense,” Lyons stated at the time.</p><p>He emphasized that ICE personnel are expected to uphold the rule of law and maintain the highest standards of professionalism, integrity, and ethical conduct, and that violations of this oath will not be tolerated. ICE is committed to transparency, accountability, and fair enforcement of immigration laws.</p><p>A federal judge later dismissed charges against the two migrants following the emergence of the video footage.</p><p>Authorities arrested Castro in Cameron County, Texas, on May 29. Four days later, Minnesota Democratic Governor Tim Walz requested Abbott to extradite Castro.</p>