Noem calls the encounter “an attempted murder of federal law enforcement”
U.S. Secretary of Homeland Security, quoted in a DHS press release
“What we saw last night in Minneapolis was an attempted murder of federal law enforcement. Our officer was ambushed and attacked by three individuals who beat him with snow shovels and the handles of brooms. Fearing for his life, the officer fired a defensive shot.”
Source and context
Official statement
About this source
DHS's original press release on the shooting, read in full on 2026-09-22. It names three men — Julio Cesar Sosa-Celis, Alfredo Alejandro Ajorna (a spelling later reports give as "Aljorna") and Gabriel Alejandro Hernandez-Ledezma — as having violently attacked the officer, and quotes Secretary Noem calling it an attempted murder of federal law enforcement. The release's second paragraph gives the incident date as "January 14, 2025", an apparent typographical error; the release date and all other dates in the document, and every other source, place the shooting on January 14, 2026. As of the access date, this release remains published on DHS's website without a correction or retraction, a fact separately noted by the Hennepin County Attorney's Office (see the Hennepin/Minnesota Attorney General source below).
Archived copy (opens in a new tab)Before the quotation
Noem's quote appears in the same DHS release describing the shooting; it was issued the day after the encounter.
After the quotation
Noem went on to criticize Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey and Minnesota Governor Tim Walz for "encouraging impeding and assault against our law enforcement," a separate line of criticism not about the shooting itself.
How this statement is classified
Responding to: Officer Christian Castro was ambushed and beaten with a snow shovel and broom handle by Julio Cesar Sosa-Celis and two other men, and fired a single defensive shot because he feared for his life.
The label describes this statement’s response within the context above.
Why this label?
The case’s fixed reference point is whether Officer Christian Castro’s decision to fire his weapon during the January 14, 2026 encounter with Julio Cesar Sosa-Celis was justified. Noem expressly characterizes the shooting as a defensive response to a life-threatening attack, directly excusing Castro's use of force.
- Recorded on
- Published here
- People and groups discussed
- Christian Castro
Was ICE Officer Christian Castro Justified in Shooting Julio Cesar Sosa-Celis?
Explore the case context, sources and public responses.
More from this case
Read the full case“Nobody is above the law, including ICE agents. The State of Minnesota must hold people accountable for violating the law and for harming Minnesotans. I support the filing of these charges, and I am working closely with Hennepin County Attorney Moriarty to ensure we reach a just outcome here.”Read statement
“A violent crime did occur that night, but it was Mr. Castro who committed it. He shot through the door of a home with many people, including children, inside, while fortunately missing several others. Mr. Castro is an ICE agent, but his federal badge does not make him immune from state charges for his criminal conduct in Minnesota.”Read statement
Gabriel Alejandro Hernandez-Ledezma
“Gabriel's life has been turned upside down by ICE's actions in Minnesota. The district court order finding his detention unlawful and ordering his release, along with the decision to dismiss charges against his neighbors, vindicates the unjustness of his arrest, detention, and the deliberate smearing of his name and broadcasting of his photo along with unfounded allegations, but it doesn't give him back the weeks he spent in detention. We look forward to further investigation into this matter and hope that those responsible face consequences.”Read statement