Mary Moriarty has filed multiple felony charges against an Immigration and Customs Enforcement agent accused of shooting a Minneapolis man during a January enforcement operation tied to the controversial federal initiative known as Operation Metro Surge.
According to the Hennepin County Attorney’s Office, ICE agent Christian Castro was charged Monday with four counts of second-degree assault and one count of falsely reporting a crime in connection with the January 14 shooting of Minneapolis resident Julio Sosa-Celis.
During a news conference, Moriarty alleged that Castro pursued Sosa-Celis and another man, Alfredo Alejandro Aljorna, after the two men retreated into a residence and shut the door behind them.
Moriarty said Castro then fired his weapon, striking Sosa-Celis in the leg. Prosecutors alleged the bullet traveled through a closet before lodging in the wall of a child’s bedroom.
“[Castro] was absolutely not under any physical threat,” Moriarty said while outlining the charges.
The county attorney also rejected claims that federal immigration officers are shielded from state criminal prosecution, stating that ICE agents “enjoy no immunity from state criminal charges in Minnesota.”
The criminal case directly contradicts earlier allegations made by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement. In a January 15 press release, ICE claimed Sosa-Celis and Aljorna assaulted officers with a broom handle and snow shovel, prompting the shooting.
However, Moriarty said investigators determined those claims were false. A federal judge later dismissed charges against both men after finding new evidence that was “materially inconsistent” with the government’s original allegations.
The Department of Homeland Security is also reportedly investigating whether Castro and another ICE agent provided false testimony under oath regarding the incident.
The shooting occurred during Operation Metro Surge, a large-scale federal immigration enforcement deployment conducted across Minnesota between December 2025 and February 2026. The operation has drawn growing scrutiny following multiple violent incidents involving ICE personnel.
Federal officers involved in Metro Surge also fatally shot Alex Pretti and Renee Good in separate incidents the DHS characterized as acts of self-defense.
In March, Minnesota filed a lawsuit against the Department of Homeland Security, accusing federal authorities of refusing to release evidence connected to the three shootings.
Moriarty said Monday that federal agencies still have not turned over evidence requested by state and local investigators.
Castro is now the second ICE agent criminally charged by Hennepin County prosecutors in relation to Operation Metro Surge. Last month, prosecutors charged Gregory Donnell Morgan Jr. with assault after he allegedly pointed a firearm at two motorists while driving on the shoulder of a highway.
The Hennepin County Attorney’s Office said investigations into the deaths of Good and Pretti remain ongoing. Prosecutors also released a public video explaining the legal basis for pursuing state criminal charges against federal immigration agents.
