ICE agent Christian Castro surrenders following federal indictment

Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agent Christian Castro has turned himself in to authorities in Texas following a federal grand jury indictment on six counts of making false statements.

The charges stem from an incident during Operation Metro Surge in Minnesota, where Castro shot Julio Cesar Sosa-Celis in the leg during a traffic stop. Castro initially claimed that Sosa-Celis and a roommate attacked him with shovels after a vehicle crash, but video evidence later contradicted his account. Consequently, charges against Sosa-Celis and his roommate were dropped, prompting a federal investigation.

Castro appeared before a judge on Friday and pleaded not guilty to the charges. The case follows a period of tension regarding extradition, as Texas Governor Greg Abbott had previously declined to extradite Castro to Minnesota.