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Venezuelan immigrant shot by ICE agent, faces assault charges.

May 29, 2026 · Minneapolis, MN, Venezuela

On January 14, 2026, ICE agent Christian Castro shot Venezuelan immigrant Julio Cesar Sosa-Celis in the leg through a duplex door during an enforcement operation in north Minneapolis. Castro claimed Sosa-Celis and others attacked him with a shovel and broom, but video evidence showed only a brief 12-second struggle and contradicted his account. Sosa-Celis and his roommate Alfredo Alejandro Aljorna were both lawfully present, and federal charges against them were dismissed in February after the Justice Department acknowledged ICE agents made false statements under oath. On May 18, Hennepin County prosecutors charged Castro with four counts of second-degree assault with a deadly weapon and one count of falsely reporting a crime. Castro was arrested on May 29 by Department of Homeland Security agents and Texas Rangers.

Timeline

May 29, 2026Castro arrested in Texas by Department of Homeland Security agents and Texas Rangers
May 18, 2026Hennepin County prosecutors charged ICE agent Christian Castro with four counts of second-degree assault with a deadly weapon and one count of falsely reporting a crime
Feb 1, 2026Federal charges dismissed against Sosa-Celis and roommate Alfredo Alejandro Aljorna after Justice Department acknowledged ICE agents made false statements under oath; video evidence contradicted Castro's account
Jan 14, 2026ICE agent Christian Castro shot Julio Cesar Sosa-Celis through a duplex door during enforcement operation in north Minneapolis; Castro falsely claimed Sosa-Celis attacked him with a shovel and broom

Sources

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