WASHINGTON:- An ICE agent has been arrested in Texas in connection with the shooting of Julio Cesar Sosa-Celis in Minneapolis during Operation Metro Surge, the Hennepin County District Attorney’s Office said. The charges relate to the shooting of Julio Cesar Sosa-Celis in Minneapolis on Jan. 14 during Operation Metro Surge.

ICE Agent Christian Castro, 52, was taken into custody Friday after being arrested in the southern state of Minnesota, where he was arrested with the help of the Texas Rangers and the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Office of the Inspector General. He faces four counts of second-degree assault and one count of falsely reporting a crime.

The charges stem from the non-fatal shooting of Julio Cesar Sosa-Celis in Minneapolis on January 14 during Operation Metro Surge, a large-scale immigration enforcement operation that was widely criticized for its aggressive tactics. Prosecutors allege that Castro fired a shot through the front door of the residence, striking Sosa-Celis in the leg.

“Castro was charged earlier this month with four counts of second-degree assault and one count of falsely reporting a crime for an incident that occurred on Jan. 14, 2026, when he pulled his weapon out the front door of a home while knowing there were people running inside,” the Hennepin County Attorney’s Office said in a statement.

“The bullet entered through the door, struck one victim in the leg and then struck the wall of the child’s room, causing a final impact.”

Minnesota officials welcomed Castro’s arrest, saying federal agents should be held to the same legal standards as everyone else.

“In Minnesota, we believe in equal justice under the law. That means no one is above the law, including federal agents,” said Minnesota Attorney General Keith Ellison. “I am pleased to hear that Christian Castro has been taken into custody and will be prosecuted in Minnesota for the charges he committed.”

The case became controversial after federal authorities initially claimed that Sosa-Celis and another man assaulted ICE officers.

Those allegations were later exposed after video and other evidence emerged that contradicted the agents’ accounts, leading prosecutors to drop charges against Sosa-Celis and his roommate, Alfredo Aljorna.

DHS later admitted that officers involved in the incident had provided false information about the shooting.

The outgoing director of ICE, Todd Lyons, also indicated that a federal investigation was underway. “Lying under oath is a serious federal crime,” he said.

But through a spokesperson, ICE rejected Minnesota’s efforts to prosecute the agent involved, calling the lawsuit “illegal” and a “political stunt.”

Castro is the second federal officer charged this year in connection with Operation Metro Surge, an unusual move that reflects growing scrutiny of federal agents’ conduct during immigration crackdowns.

Hennepin County District Attorney Mary Moriarty is also pursuing an investigation into other incidents related to the operation.

Operation Metro Surge began in Minnesota in December 2025. By the time Sosa-Selis was shot on January 14, hundreds of federal agents had been deployed to the Minneapolis-St. Paul area, in what officials described as the largest DHS operation in U.S. history.

Operation Metro Surge had sparked intense controversy, particularly after the fatal shootings of Renee Good on January 7 and Alex Pretty on January 24.