Justice Department says indictment challenges Castro's account of the shooting
United States Department of JusticeFederal law-enforcement department speaking through the U.S. Attorney's Office for the District of Minnesota
The Justice Department announced an indictment alleging that Castro gave the FBI materially false statements about the encounter and shooting.
“Castro was indicted on six counts of knowingly and willfully making materially false statements to the FBI during the interview on or about Jan. 14.”
Official statement
Where this statement fits
Was ICE Officer Christian Castro Justified in Shooting Julio Cesar Sosa-Celis?
On January 14, 2026, ICE officer Christian Castro fired his service weapon through the closed front door of a north Minneapolis home during a foot pursuit that followed a traffic stop, wounding 24-year-old Julio Cesar Sosa-Celis in the leg. The Department of Homeland Security said the following day that Castro had been ambushed and beaten with a snow shovel and broom handle by Sosa-Celis, Alfredo Aljorna and a third man, Gabriel Alejandro Hernandez-Ledezma, and fired a defensive shot fearing for his life; federal prosecutors initially charged Sosa-Celis and Aljorna with assaulting Castro. Sosa-Celis and Aljorna told investigators they had not attacked Castro, and habeas corpus petitions filed on behalf of their partners disputed DHS's account. On February 12, 2026, federal prosecutors dismissed the charges against Sosa-Celis and Aljorna with prejudice, citing newly discovered evidence materially inconsistent with the allegations; the next day, Acting ICE Director Todd Lyons said a joint ICE-DOJ review of video evidence indicated two officers' sworn testimony appeared untruthful, and placed them on administrative leave. In May 2026, Hennepin County prosecutors charged Castro with four counts of second-degree assault and one count of falsely reporting a crime, alleging he was not attacked and fired at Sosa-Celis and Aljorna after they had already gone inside the home, where children were present. In September 2026, following a monthslong dispute over his extradition from Texas, federal prosecutors separately indicted Castro on six counts of making materially false statements to the FBI about the shooting. Castro has pleaded not guilty to the federal charges; the state charges and the underlying dispute over whether his use of force was justified remain unresolved.
Source and context
Official statement
About this source
DOJ's press release on the six-count federal indictment. It identifies U.S. Attorney Daniel N. Rosen and describes the indictment's account of the shooting and of what Castro told an FBI agent that night, which the indictment alleges was false. It notes an indictment is merely an allegation and Castro is presumed innocent, and that DOJ "has not ruled out additional charges."
Archived copy (opens in a new tab)Before the quotation
Castro had described being attacked with a broom and shovel and firing while still on the ground.
After the quotation
The department said the indictment alleges Castro had stood up before firing through the duplex door. It emphasized that the charges are allegations and Castro is presumed innocent unless proved guilty.
How this statement is classified
The label describes this statement's response within the context above.
Why this label?
The indictment alleges Castro materially misrepresented the circumstances in which he fired, challenging his account without itself deciding whether the shooting was legally justified.
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ACLU of Minnesota calls the shooting of Julio Sosa-Celis a shocking attack
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“According to criminal charges later filed against Castro by the Hennepin County Attorney’s Office, Castro fired through the closed front door while standing in the front yard and under no physical threat. The bullet struck Sosa-Celis before entering the wall of a child’s bedroom. This shocking attack occurred at the height of Operation Metro Surge, during which federal agents committed some of the most flagrant constitutional violations we have witnessed in the United States since the civil rights era.”Read statement
Ellison says “nobody is above the law, including ICE agents”
“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
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The Dispute Index. "Justice Department says indictment challenges Castro's account of the shooting". First published: 2026-09-24. Last updated: 2026-09-24. https://disputeindex.com/events/2227-the-justice-department-announced-an-indictment-alleging-that