Christian Castro, a US Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agent, faces criminal charges in Minnesota for shooting 24-year-old Julio Cesar Sosa-Celis in the leg during an immigration raid in January 2026. Castro is charged with assault and falsely reporting a crime by another in Hennepin County, Minnesota.

Since May, Castro has been detained in a county jail in Brownsville, Texas, near the US-Mexico border. Minnesota authorities have sought his extradition to face charges, but Texas Governor Greg Abbott has refused to comply, citing ongoing investigations into fraud in Minnesota's government social service programs. Abbott's refusal has delayed the extradition process, which under Texas law cannot exceed 90 days of detention; Castro's release is scheduled for Thursday, August 28, 2026.

Last week, Keith Ellison, Minnesota's attorney general, filed a lawsuit against Abbott to compel the extradition and prevent Castro's release until the process is complete. Mary Moriarty, a prosecutor for Hennepin County, described the delay as unusual, stating, "We have never heard of anything taking this long because it is an administrative process. It is not supposed to be controversial."

At a federal hearing on Tuesday, August 25, 2026, in Brownsville, attorneys from Minnesota's attorney general's office argued that releasing Castro would make it difficult to ensure he faces charges and could increase the risk of him fleeing.

However, US District Judge Fernando Rodriguez Jr ruled on Wednesday, August 26, 2026, that he could not intervene because Governor Abbott had not yet acted to violate any law. Consequently, the judge denied Minnesota's request to compel the extradition.

Federal prosecutors are reportedly considering additional charges against Castro, who was initially charged locally with four counts of second-degree assault and one count of falsely reporting a crime. The incident occurred during a mass deportation effort under former President Donald Trump, which sparked significant public backlash.

Sources