Trump's immigration offensive faces a new front: Minnesota indicts ICE agent

An Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agent faces four counts of assault during immigration operations in Minneapolis, Minnesota. The agent in question is Christian Castro, for whom, according to prosecutors in the case, an arrest warrant has been issued.

Mary Moriarty, prosecutor for Hennepin County, held a press conference at which she announced the charges against Castro, including charges of assault and false reporting of a crime for an operation that took place in January.

Specifically, the case revolves around Castro's actions during a raid in Minneapolis, where prosecutors allege the officer fired through the door of a home, striking a person who posed no immediate threat. Moriarty contends that the shooting occurred "with the intent to cause fear of immediate bodily harm or death to the four adults who were just inside the door."

Indeed, one of the shots struck Julio César Sosa-Celis, a Venezuelan immigrant, who received a gunshot wound to the leg.

The initial version presented by federal authorities maintained that the ICE agents had been attacked during the operation and that they faced immediate danger. However, prosecutors began investigating after they detected inconsistencies between the testimony, the evidence collected and the initial version.

According to the investigation, the images do not support the alleged aggression initially described and suggest that the shot was fired recklessly through the door of a home, where there were also several people inside.

"Mr. Castro fired his service weapon at the front door of the home, knowing there were people who had just run inside that presented absolutely no threat to him or anyone else. The bullet punched through the front door and struck Mr. Sosa-Celis' leg before traveling through a closet and lodging in the wall of a child's bedroom," Moriarty said.

"Mr. Castro is an ICE agent, but his federal badge does not make him immune from state charges for his criminal conduct in Minnesota. I've said it many times and I'll say it again: there is no such thing as absolute immunity for federal officers who commit crimes in this state or any other," she added.

The incident occurred during Operation Metro Surge, a federal operation launched by the Trump administration in Minnesota as part of a broader offensive to strengthen immigration enforcement.