ICE officer pleads not guilty to lying to FBI about Minneapolis shooting

An Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) officer pleaded not guilty Friday to federal charges stemming from allegations that he lied to authorities about what led up to the January shooting of a Venezuelan man during Minneapolis enforcement operations.

A federal grand jury indicted Christian Castro, 52, in early September on six counts of making materially false statements to investigators. He appeared before a magistrate judge in St. Paul on Friday where he was arraigned on the charges.

Castro, who has reportedly been suspended without pay from the agency, is the first federal immigration officer to be prosecuted by the Justice Department for actions that occurred during Operation Metro Surge in the Twin Cities.

“Mr. Castro voluntarily went to Minneapolis to surrender himself, both in state court and in federal court, and he’s been released on bond, and we look forward to litigating these matters and to presenting our case in court and exonerating him,” Michael Wynn, one of his attorneys, told The Hill.

Castro is accused of lying to the FBI about how a Jan. 14 scuffle with three men, one of whom was shot in the thigh and hospitalized, unfolded.

Officials with the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) initially claimed that an officer, determined to be Castro, fired a “defensive shot” after being attacked with a snow shovel and a broom handle. But court documents indicated that the men had actually dropped the items and ran toward a nearby apartment “as soon as [they] saw his pistol.”

About a month later, DHS said it was investigating what appeared to be “ untruthful statements ” made by the officer following the review of additional video evidence.

“The men and women of ICE are entrusted with upholding the rule of law and are held to the highest standards of professionalism, integrity, and ethical conduct. Violations of this sacred sworn oath will not be tolerated,” a former spokesperson said at the time.

Friday’s hearing caps off what has been a chaotic few weeks for Castro, who became the center of an extradition fight between Texas Gov. Greg Abbott (R) and Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz (D) after Castro was jailed in Texas in late May.

Walz accused his counterpart of delay and refusal to sign the paperwork that would have authorized Castro’s transfer so he could face state assault charges in connection with the shooting. A federal judge ultimately declined to intervene, and Castro was released after 90 days.

He was arrested again Wednesday by Minnesota authorities and made his initial appearance in a state courtroom the next day.

He is required to wear a GPS ankle monitor and cannot possess any firearms as part of his bond conditions in the federal case.