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Federal prosecutors have charged a U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement officer with lying to investigators about the events surrounding the shooting of a Venezuelan man in Minneapolis earlier this year, Fox News Digital has learned.
The Department of Justice has charged ICE agent Christian Castro with making false statements connected to the Jan. 14 shooting of Julio Cesar Sosa-Celis, who was shot in the leg. He was indicted by a federal grand jury in Minnesota on Wednesday, a source familiar with the charges said.
Castro is accused of opening fire through the front door of a Minneapolis home, hitting Sosa-Celis, and then lying about the events before the shooting. The incident came amid the Trump administration’s crackdown on illegal immigration in Minnesota.
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What followed was at least one night of unrest in Minneapolis.
The charges came after Castro was released from a Texas jail last week, following Texas Gov. Greg Abbott’s refusal to sign an extradition warrant to hand him over to Minnesota authorities.
Under Texas law and barring extradition, Castro must be released after 90 days of detention. Last month, Minnesota Attorney General Keith Ellison filed an unsuccessful request for a temporary restraining order in an effort to block Castro’s release or to order his return to Minnesota, The Associated Press reported.
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Castro is charged separately in that state with assault and false reporting of a crime related to the same shooting.
Federal authorities initially accused Sosa-Celis and another man of beating an officer with a broom handle and a snow shovel during a confrontation.
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However, the charges were dropped after video evidence showed the officers may have lied about the encounter, prompting an investigation.
On Wednesday, ProPublica reported that federal prosecutors were barred by officials in Washington from pursuing civil rights charges against Castro.
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Fox News Digital has reached out to ICE, the Department of Homeland Security and the Justice Department for comment.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
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