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

ICE Officer Enters Not Guilty Plea in Federal Case Tied to Minneapolis Shooting

Provpnadvice.com – An Immigration and Customs Enforcement officer accused of misleading federal investigators about a shooting during enforcement activity in Minneapolis has entered a not guilty plea in federal court.

Christian Castro, 52, appeared before a magistrate judge in St. Paul on Friday after a federal grand jury charged him in early September with six counts of making materially false statements. The allegations center on Castro’s description of a confrontation on Jan. 14 that ended when a Venezuelan man was shot in the thigh and later hospitalized.

The case marks a significant development in scrutiny of law-enforcement conduct during Operation Metro Surge, the immigration-enforcement effort conducted in the Twin Cities. Castro is the first federal immigration officer prosecuted by the Justice Department for conduct connected to that operation.

Disputed Account of the January Encounter

Federal prosecutors contend that Castro gave the FBI a false account of how the confrontation unfolded. The incident involved Castro and three men during a Jan. 14 encounter in Minneapolis.

Early statements from Department of Homeland Security officials described the gunfire as a defensive response. Authorities initially said an officer—later identified as Castro—fired after being attacked with a snow shovel and a broom handle.

But court filings present a sharply different sequence of events. They indicate the men dropped those objects and moved toward a nearby apartment once they saw Castro’s pistol. The filings form the basis for the accusation that Castro made false statements during the federal investigation.

The shooting itself is not the only matter at issue. The six-count indictment focuses specifically on whether Castro gave investigators materially inaccurate information—statements significant enough to affect the work of federal authorities examining the incident.

In the weeks after the shooting, the Department of Homeland Security said additional video evidence had prompted a review of statements made by the officer. Roughly a month after the incident, the department said it was investigating what appeared to be untruthful statements.

“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.

Defense Signals Fight Over the Charges

Castro’s attorneys have indicated that he intends to contest the allegations. Michael Wynn, one of Castro’s lawyers, said his client voluntarily traveled to Minneapolis to turn himself in for both the state and federal proceedings.

“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,” Wynn said.

A not guilty plea means the federal case will proceed through the court process unless it is otherwise resolved. Prosecutors must prove each charged false statement beyond a reasonable doubt, while Castro remains presumed innocent unless a court finds him guilty.

Castro has reportedly been suspended without pay from ICE. His employment status does not decide the criminal case, but it reflects the seriousness with which the allegations have been treated within the agency.

Separate State Case and Extradition Dispute

The federal arraignment follows an unsettled period involving separate state allegations. Castro became the focus of a dispute between Texas Gov. Greg Abbott, a Republican, and Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz, a Democrat, after he was jailed in Texas in late May.

Minnesota sought Castro’s transfer so he could face state assault charges connected to the Minneapolis shooting. Walz accused Abbott of delaying the transfer and declining to sign documents that would have authorized it. The disagreement brought an interstate legal process into the public spotlight while the federal investigation continued.

A federal judge ultimately declined to step into that dispute. Castro was released after 90 days in custody in Texas.

Minnesota authorities arrested him again on Wednesday, and he made an initial appearance in a state courtroom the following day. The state case and the federal indictment arise from the same broader episode but involve distinct legal proceedings and separate decisions by prosecutors and courts.

Bond Conditions Restrict Firearms Access

Castro has been released on bond in the federal matter with conditions intended to monitor his whereabouts and limit access to weapons. He must wear a GPS ankle monitor and is prohibited from possessing firearms while the case is pending.

Those restrictions do not establish guilt. They are conditions of pretrial release, imposed while the court determines how the case should move forward.

The allegations have drawn attention because they concern both the use of force in an immigration-enforcement operation and the reliability of statements made after the fact. Video evidence appears to be central to the government’s account, while Castro’s defense team has said it expects to present a case seeking his exoneration.

As the federal prosecution proceeds, the court will examine the evidence surrounding the Jan. 14 encounter, the statements Castro made to investigators, and whether those statements were materially false. The parallel state case will continue on its own track, leaving Castro to address criminal allegations in two jurisdictions stemming from the same Minneapolis incident.