Judge blocks Minnesota attempt to extradite ICE agent from Texas
Fox News correspondent Christina Coleman reports from Dallas that a federal judge has blocked Minnesota’s efforts to extradite ICE agent Christian Castro from Texas. Castro is facing charges tied to the January shooting of a Venezuelan migrant during Operation Metro Surge in Minneapolis, while Texas Gov. Greg Abbott examines whether the officer legally meets the definition of a fugitive.
Christian Castro, a U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement officer accused of misleading the FBI about a January shooting in Minneapolis, pleaded not guilty Friday to six federal counts of making materially false statements.
Castro appeared in federal court in St. Paul after prosecutors alleged that he shot 24-year-old Julio Cesar Sosa-Celis in the leg through the front door of a Minneapolis residence during Operation Metro Surge.
Investigators say Castro claimed he opened fire after being attacked with a broom and shovel. Prosecutors, however, contend that surveillance video conflicts with his version of events.
The 52-year-old wore an ankle monitor during Friday’s hearing. A judge ordered him to travel only between Minnesota and South Texas and said he must report any altercation with law enforcement within 72 hours. Castro was released after the hearing.
Christian Castro, an immigration officer accused of shooting a Venezuelan man during an immigration crackdown in Minneapolis earlier this year and lying to investigators, leaves with his attorney Daniel Gerdts after a hearing at the Warren E. Burger Federal Building on Friday in St. Paul, Minn. (AP Photo/Ellen Schmidt)
Castro had spent roughly 90 days in Texas custody before his release. His detention was prolonged in part because Texas Gov. Greg Abbott declined to sign an extradition warrant sought by Minnesota authorities.
After leaving custody in his home state, Castro was booked in Minnesota last week. The terms of his Texas release require him to wear an ankle monitor and surrender both his passport and firearms.
He faces both federal and state charges arising from the shooting.
Christian Castro is charged with lying to investigators about a January 2026 shooting. (AP Photo/Ellen Schmidt)
Prosecutors accuse Castro of misrepresenting what happened during the shooting, which took place amid Operation Metro Surge, a Trump administration effort targeting illegal immigration. Castro told investigators that a broom and shovel were used against him before he fired his weapon.
The operation brought thousands of federal agents to Minnesota and led to widespread arrests. It also included the fatal shootings of two U.S. citizens.
Texas Gov. Greg Abbott, left, and Minnesota Attorney General Keith Ellison, right, battled on X over whether an ICE agent involved in a recent Minneapolis shooting should be extradited to Minnesota. (Getty Images)
Minnesota officials have clashed with the Trump administration over which authorities should prosecute Castro. The administration maintains that the case falls exclusively under federal jurisdiction.
