Posted on 05/30/2026 10:58:36 AM PDT by MtnClimber
Moriarty’s prosecutorial approach reflects uneven standards shaped by political alignment. Her charging decisions appear to be influenced more by ideology than by the consistent application of the law.
Earlier this month, Soros-backed Hennepin County Attorney Mary Moriarty held a press conference to announce that her office had issued a nationwide warrant for the arrest of Christian Castro, an Immigration and Customs Enforcement agent. Moriarty’s office had charged Castro with four counts of second-degree assault and one count of falsely reporting a crime in connection with the January 14 shooting of Venezuelan national Julio Sosa-Celis in Minneapolis.
The non-fatal shooting came just one week after the death of activist Renee Good, when tensions surrounding Operation Metro Surge were already running high.
In its coverage of Moriarty’s comments, The Wall Street Journal reported:
DHS initially said Sosa-Celis had been the aggressor in the altercation. Video footage detailed in court documents and released to the public last month by the city of Minneapolis undermines the initial narrative.
In a statement released the day after the shooting, the agency said Sosa-Celis was the driver of a vehicle pulled over by ICE as part of a targeted immigration-enforcement operation. The driver fled from officers, crashed into a parked car and then ran on foot, according to the Jan. 15 statement. Two other individuals joined the driver and began hitting an immigration official with a snow shovel and broom handle before fleeing into the home, the agency said in January.
“Fearing for his life and safety as he was being ambushed by three individuals, the officer fired a defensive shot to defend his life,” DHS initially said.
A month later, cracks in the case had already become apparent. Two immigration officials involved in the shooting were placed on administrative leave after video evidence showed their sworn testimony was “untruthful.” Sosa-Celis had been charged with assault after the shooting, but the Minnesota U.S. Attorney’s Office dropped the charges, saying “Newly discovered evidence in this matter is materially inconsistent with the allegations,” according to court documents.
After a 911 call related to the car chase, Minneapolis police took remote control of a city-owned camera at the scene and turned it toward the individuals, capturing key footage of the altercation, according to court documents.
At no point was the agent struck, according to Moriarty. “He was not hit by a shovel or a broom,” she said. “In fact, he was not hit at all.”
Moriarty also claimed that Sosa-Celis was lawfully present in the U.S., a characterization that is disputed by DHS, which has identified him as an illegal alien.
Fox News correspondent Bill Melugin reported on the incident at the time:
BREAKING: DHS releases the names & backgrounds of the three illegal aliens they say attacked an ICE agent in Minneapolis last night, leading to a shooting. All are Venezuelan illegal aliens who were caught & released at the border by the Biden administration.
Per DHS:
Julio… pic.twitter.com/nmWNmIWFZi
— Bill Melugin (@BillMelugin_) January 15, 2026
On Friday morning, Moriarty’s office issued a news release to announce that Castro had been apprehended in Texas. Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension investigators “located Mr. Castro and traveled to Texas this week” to make the arrest.
Mr. Castro was charged earlier this month with four counts of second-degree assault and one count of falsely reporting a crime for an incident on Jan. 14, 2026, when he discharged his weapon through the front door of a home knowing there were people who had just run inside.
The bullet traveled through the door and struck one victim in the leg, before making its final impact in the wall of a child’s room.
Moriarty also announced the news on X, directing followers to what she described as “a helpful guide to understanding the process of charging an agent.” Perhaps it’s my own bias showing, but she certainly seemed enthusiastic about the prospect of arresting a federal officer.
[Note: Interestingly, by the time I finished writing this story, Moriarty’s post was no longer available on X. Whether it was deleted or simply made private is unclear.]
Minnesota Attorney General Keith Ellison weighed in on the case. “I am pleased to hear Christian Castro has been taken into custody and will stand trial for the crimes he allegedly committed in Minnesota,” he said in a statement. “Justice demands no less. Christian Castro’s alleged shooting of Julio Sosa-Celis appears unwarranted, as evidenced by the lies Castro told his ICE supervisors to justify his unlawful actions.”
“In Minnesota, we believe in equal justice under the law,” Ellison said. “That means nobody is above the law, including agents of the federal government.”
Ironically, if the current federal fraud investigation in Minnesota uncovers what many suspect it will, Ellison may soon be hearing that state attorneys general are not above the law either, but I digress.
Finally, a word about the uber progressive prosecutor herself is in order. Moriarty was elected in 2022 and announced in August 2025 that she would not seek reelection. Her tenure has been marked by recurring controversy, with critics contending that her prosecutorial approach reflects uneven standards shaped by political alignment. Her charging decisions appear to be influenced more by ideology than by the consistent application of the law.
She has developed a reputation for being soft on crime — that is for those with the right political affiliations. For example, she came under heavy fire last year for refusing to file criminal charges against a defendant, a Democratic Minnesota state employee, who was caught on camera causing more than $20,000 in damages to Teslas.
Meet Minnesota State employee Dylan Bryan Adams. He was reportedly arrested for allegedly causing over $20,000 in damages to Teslas in Minneapolis after he vandalized them.
The Hennepin County Attorney’s Office has decided NOT to file criminal charges.
.@AGPamBondi pic.twitter.com/fKwFhJdAlw
— Libs of TikTok (@libsoftiktok) April 22, 2025
An X user emphasizes Moriarty’s prosecutorial bias in the post below:
Photo 1: A Hennepin county attorney that released a Somalian rapist with no jail time that ended up raping again.
Photo 2: A Hennepin county attorney that wants to put ICE Agents in jail. pic.twitter.com/VGWNrDPnga
— C3 (@C_3C_3) April 16, 2026
This case is sure to spark a major legal showdown between the federal government and Minnesota state officials. Whether Castro’s actions ultimately warrant criminal punishment is a question for the courts. What is already clear, however, is that this case has become about far more than a single shooting in Minneapolis. It has evolved into a broader clash over immigration enforcement, prosecutorial discretion, and the relationship between federal and state authorities. The outcome could have implications far beyond Minnesota, shaping how future confrontations between federal immigration officers and local prosecutors are handled across the country.
Dear FRiends,
We need your continuing support to keep FR funded. Your donations are our sole source of funding. No sugar daddies, no advertisers, no paid memberships, no commercial sales, no gimmicks, no tax subsidies. No spam, no pop-ups, no ad trackers.
If you enjoy using FR and agree it's a worthwhile endeavor, please consider making a contribution today:
Click here: to donate by Credit Card
Or here: to donate by PayPal
Or by mail to: Free Republic, LLC - PO Box 9771 - Fresno, CA 93794
Thank you very much and God bless you,
Jim
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/In_re_Neagle
All this is political posturing.
Moriarty looks like Keir Starmer’s sister. Or brother, possibly.
He was a federal officer performing within the scope of his job. The local yokel jurisdictional rules apply. As such, white gal Alvin Bragg has no jurisdiction to prosecute him. The Feds have sole jurisdiction.
That was my first thought as well. 😝
However they would have been OK if the bullet had killed a baby in the womb.
Seems to me she should be arrested for obstruction.
Feds ought to converge on wherever Castro is being held and if necessary
forcibly release him.
In other words - declare war on Minnesota
In Enola Holmes 2 (cute movie about Sherlock Holmes' younger sister), Moriarity turns out to be a woman.
We can run from trans but we can’t hide.
RE: In other words - declare war on Minnesota
Save some ammo for CA, though.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.