Kathmandu— Federal prosecutors have charged Christian Castro, a former Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agent, with lying under oath regarding the shooting of Julio Cesar Sosa-Celis during an immigration crackdown in Minnesota this year. The incident occurred on January 24 when Castro fired through the door of a home where Sosa-Celis was inside. Prosecutors allege that Castro lied to investigators about the events leading up to the shooting, which video evidence later contradicted.

Extradition Standoff

Texas Governor Greg Abbott declined to cooperate with Minnesota's request for extradition of Christian Castro, leaving him detained in Texas for 90 days before his release last week. Under Texas law, the state cannot hold an individual subject to an extradition order for longer than that period. As a result, Castro was released despite facing multiple felony charges related to the shooting.

Video Evidence Contradicts Agent's Account

Surveillance footage emerged contradicting Christian Castro’s initial account of the confrontation with Julio Cesar Sosa-Celis. The video showed that Sosa-Celis did not attack Castro, contrary to what Castro had told investigators. Todd Lyons, then acting head of ICE, stated that the footage revealed untruthful statements made by two separate officers.

Broader Context of Immigration Enforcement

The indictment against Christian Castro comes amid broader concerns about immigration enforcement practices under the Trump administration. An Associated Press review found about two dozen ICE employees and contractors had faced criminal charges since 2020, while an ACLU report documented instances of violent tactics or civil rights violations in a third of over 1,200 immigration enforcement incidents reviewed in 2025 alone.

(With inputs from Al Jazeera)

Originally published on abcnews.com.np.