
KLZ UPDATE — Aug. 28: The Department of Homeland Security has suspended ICE officer Christian Castro without pay while its investigation into the January shooting continues. Although Castro is now free in Texas, Minnesota’s warrant remains active and he is still subject to arrest in Minnesota or other states. Texas Gov. Greg Abbott has not signed the extradition warrant, and Castro’s current whereabouts have not been publicly disclosed.
Texas law states that a person can only be detained on an extradition warrant from another state for 90 days. After that, they have to be discharged.
The sheriff holding Christian Castro has said he’ll be released tomorrow absent a court order or issuance of a rendition warrant https://t.co/DH90tcxMeg pic.twitter.com/LGjY2OQkbx
— Anna Bower (@AnnaBower) August 26, 2026
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An Immigration and Customs Enforcement officer facing criminal charges over a nonfatal shooting in Minnesota was released from a Texas detention facility early Thursday. Christian Castro was released at dawn from the Carrizales-Rucker Cameron County Detention Center in Brownsville, Texas, after reaching the state’s 90-day statutory limit for pre-extradition detention. His release followed a federal court ruling that declined to halt his discharge or compel Texas officials to transfer him north.
In a 13-page decision issued Wednesday, U.S. District Judge Fernando Rodriguez Jr. rejected a request by Minnesota Attorney General Keith Ellison for a temporary restraining order to block Castro’s release. The court determined it lacked subject-matter jurisdiction to intervene prior to a final decision by the Texas executive branch. Ruling on the matter, the judge wrote, “The Court concludes that it lacks subject matter jurisdiction because the case is not ripe for adjudication,” noting that “the threat of injury by itself does not create an issue ripe for adjudication” despite concerns regarding potential flight risks.
The Hennepin County Attorney’s Office has filed charges against Christian Castro, an ICE agent, in the shooting of Julio Sosa-Celis in north Minneapolis on Jan. 14, 2026.
He has been charged with four counts of second-degree assault and one count of falsely reporting a crime. pic.twitter.com/lT8Dwbqyhu
— Hennepin County Attorney Mary Moriarty (@HennepinAtty) May 18, 2026
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Minnesota officials expressed concern that Castro might attempt to flee across the nearby Southern border. Court filings cited recorded jailhouse telephone conversations in which Castro discussed “about marrying her and buying a house in Mexico when he is released” with a woman living in Mexico. Despite the setback, Minnesota prosecutors stated that legal efforts to extradite Castro and bring the case to trial in Hennepin County will move forward.
Castro faces felony assault and false reporting charges in Minnesota stemming from a Jan. 14 enforcement action in Minneapolis. Prosecutors allege Castro fired a weapon through the front entrance of a residence, striking 24-year-old Julio Cesar Sosa-Celis in the leg. Investigators contend that Castro falsely claimed Sosa-Celis and another individual attacked an officer with a broom handle and a snow shovel, a version of events contradicted by local surveillance video. Following the issuance of a Minnesota arrest warrant, authorities taken Castro into custody in Cameron County, Texas, on May 29. However, Texas law caps detention without a signed governor’s extradition warrant at 90 days. Republican Texas Gov. Greg Abbott did not execute the warrant prior to the deadline, instead directing state officials to investigate whether Castro qualifies as a fugitive under constitutional guidelines.
Christian Castro, ICE agent charged in Metro Surge shooting, arrested in Texas.
To learn more about what steps may come next, click the link below for a helpful guide to understanding the process of charging a federal agent:https://t.co/8CFFmWrGEJ pic.twitter.com/5qxIfA0ZcR
— Hennepin County Attorney Mary Moriarty (@HennepinAtty) May 29, 2026
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Editorial credit: Alejandro Diaz Manrique / Shutterstock.com



