The Department of Justice charges the ICE agent who shot a Venezuelan immigrant in Minnesota with lying to investigators

The U.S. Department of Justice filed federal charges against Christian Castro, an agent with U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), for making false statements to investigators regarding a shooting in which a Venezuelan immigrant was wounded in Minnesota, according to sources close to the case who spoke to CBS News.

A federal grand jury indicted the officer on six charges. Judicial authorities are currently tracking Castro's whereabouts to proceed with his arrest in a case initially uncovered by The Associated Press.

The collapse of the official version following video evidence

The incident occurred during immigration enforcement operations conducted by the federal administration in Minnesota.

Initially, the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) claimed that the Venezuelan immigrant Julio César Sosa-Celis and another individual, Alfredo Alejandro Aljorna, had attacked the agent with a broomstick and a snow shovel during an arrest, which allegedly forced the officer to fire a "defensive shot" at the suspect's leg.

However, the initial charges against the two men quickly fell apart. In February, federal prosecutors permanently dropped the charges against Sosa-Celis and Aljorna after confirming the existence of "newly discovered evidence" that was "materially inconsistent" with the agents' version of events.

Video recordings and key testimonies refuted the claims made in the official reports. The then-acting director of ICE, Todd Lyons, publicly confirmed that the footage contradicted the sworn statements made by Castro and a second officer involved in the incident.

"The video evidence has revealed that the sworn testimony given by two separate officers appears to contain untruthful statements," Lyons stated at the time. "Both officers have been immediately placed on administrative leave pending the conclusion of a thorough internal investigation. Lying under oath is a serious federal crime."

Extradition dispute and jurisdictional battle

Castro's federal indictment adds a new chapter to a complex legal web. Local prosecutors had already charged Castro in May; however, Texas Governor Greg Abbott refused to authorize his extradition to Minnesota, triggering a legal clash between the two jurisdictions.

The agent was released from a Texas jail last week.

The officer is currently on administrative leave without pay from the federal agency. The formal filing of the indictment in federal court will mark the start of criminal proceedings for undermining the integrity of the government's own investigations.