A U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement officer named Christian Castro has been charged by federal prosecutors with lying about a January shooting that injured a Venezuelan migrant in Minnesota.
The indictment lists six counts, including false reporting of a crime and assault. Castro says he fired in self‑defence after being attacked by three migrants wielding a shovel and a broom handle, but investigators argue he shot through a closed door and struck a man in the leg.
He was one of many ICE officers deployed during the state’s Operation Metro Surge, a large federal push that sparked protests and ended with two U.S. citizens killed by agents in confrontations. The state’s top prosecutor, Keith Ellison, praised the federal charges but warned they do not capture the full gravity of the alleged violent crimes.
While Castro was arrested in Texas and briefly detained, he was released after a governor denied the Minnesota request for extradition. Minnesota authorities continue to pursue state charges against him.
The case underscores rising scrutiny of immigration enforcement practices and the legal and ethical limits of force used by federal agents.
