ICE Officer Christian Castro Charged with Four Counts of Assault in Minneapolis — First Criminal Accountability for Operation Metro Surge Shooting That Wounded Venezuelan Man in Mistaken-Identity Raid

On May 18, 2026, Hennepin County Attorney Mary Moriarty announced criminal charges against ICE officer Christian Castro: four counts of second-degree assault and one count of falsely reporting a crime in connection with the January 14 nonfatal shooting of Julio Cesar Sosa-Celis, a Venezuelan man who was in the United States lawfully. Castro allegedly fired through the front door of a Minneapolis residence during Operation Metro Surge — the Trump administration's largest domestic immigration enforcement operation, which deployed approximately 3,000 federal agents across the Minneapolis metro area and resulted in roughly 3,000 arrests. Both Sosa-Celis and a second Venezuelan man present were in the country legally; criminal charges initially filed against them in connection with the incident were subsequently dismissed. The criminal charges represent the first time a federal immigration officer involved in Operation Metro Surge has faced prosecution. The operation was already under intense scrutiny: two U.S. citizens — Renee Good, 37, and Alex Pretti, 37 — were fatally shot by federal agents during the surge in January 2026, triggering a partial DHS government shutdown and contributing to the Senate's 50-48 vote in April to advance the $71.7B reconciliation package. Hennepin County Attorney Moriarty said the charges reflect that no one is above accountability regardless of their employer. The Trump administration did not immediately comment on the charges; DHS and ICE have generally argued that their officers acted within the scope of their enforcement authority during the operation.