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ICE Agent Arrested After Minneapolis DA Files Charges in Migrant Shooting Case
Legal Insurrection ^ | 29 May, 2026 | Elizabeth Stauffer

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.


TOPICS: Society
KEYWORDS: antiice; democrats; domesticenemies; ice; lawfare; leftism; minnesota

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1 posted on 05/30/2026 10:58:36 AM PDT by MtnClimber
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To: MtnClimber

When will she get SWAT raided at 3 a.m. (and roughed up for resisting arrest) for interfering with Federal Officers?


2 posted on 05/30/2026 10:58:54 AM PDT by MtnClimber (For photos of scenery, wildlife and climbing, click on my screen name for my FR home page.)
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To: MtnClimber

Ah the Ellens of the world....


3 posted on 05/30/2026 11:03:04 AM PDT by Secret Agent Man (Gone Galt; not averse to Going Bronson.)
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To: MtnClimber

Any relation to Professor James Moriarty?


4 posted on 05/30/2026 11:03:51 AM PDT by Repeal The 17th ( I am obsessed with not being obsessed with anything.)
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To: Repeal The 17th

Perhaps the fraud in Minnesota was his scheme.


5 posted on 05/30/2026 11:09:37 AM PDT by Waverunner (Torah! Torah! Torah! my favorite IDF radio code.)
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To: MtnClimber

Arrogance can get you into big trouble.


6 posted on 05/30/2026 11:14:44 AM PDT by blueunicorn6 ("A crack shot and a good dancer” )
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To: MtnClimber

Guess she doesn’t know with whom she’s dealing with.


7 posted on 05/30/2026 11:14:54 AM PDT by SkyDancer ( ~ Am Yisrael Chai ~)
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To: MtnClimber

Ah the Lesbian and the Zombies


8 posted on 05/30/2026 11:25:47 AM PDT by butlerweave (Fateh)
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To: MtnClimber

Communism is afoot Watson


9 posted on 05/30/2026 11:26:25 AM PDT by Vaduz (NEVER TRUST A DEMOCRAT)
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To: MtnClimber
Minnesota is in open rebellion against the Union.

Time to party like it's 1865.

10 posted on 05/30/2026 11:30:58 AM PDT by Salman (The Democrats have seceded from the human race. It's time for Trump to go full Pinochet.)
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To: butlerweave

That little zombie woman behind her looks like she’s seen some bad things in life. Or, it could just be the toll that leftism has taken on her.


11 posted on 05/30/2026 11:48:55 AM PDT by NorthWoody (Half of all people are below average, and half of those are in the bottom 25%.)
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To: MtnClimber

You got to come up with a better story than he beat me with a snow shovel.


12 posted on 05/30/2026 11:51:23 AM PDT by Round Earther
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To: MtnClimber

Arresting ICE agents for doing their job , what a very backward idiot


13 posted on 05/30/2026 11:56:48 AM PDT by butlerweave (Fateh)
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To: MtnClimber

Changing “his” to “her”....

Moriarty sits motionless at the center of her web, yet perfectly feels every vibration of her intricate network. 🕷️
——Sherlock Holmes in The Final Problem. (1893)


14 posted on 05/30/2026 11:58:02 AM PDT by frank ballenger (There's a battle outside and it's raging. It'll soon shake your windows and rattle your walls. )
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To: MtnClimber

The Dems and fellow leftists have several times threatened to use lawfare to punish ICE and others for doing their sworn duties and for arresting felons.

It will be unconscionable to allow them to carry out that lawfare if the election brings the Dems to power.


15 posted on 05/30/2026 12:00:33 PM PDT by frank ballenger (There's a battle outside and it's raging. It'll soon shake your windows and rattle your walls. )
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To: MtnClimber

No federal law enforcement support/presence in the Land of !0,000 shitheads...none, zero, null, nada.


16 posted on 05/30/2026 12:01:21 PM PDT by Bonemaker (invictus maneo )
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To: MtnClimber

Article says she’s soft on crime and bases prosecutions on her personal biases.

She shouldn’t have been allowed to continue in office.


17 posted on 05/30/2026 12:03:42 PM PDT by frank ballenger (There's a battle outside and it's raging. It'll soon shake your windows and rattle your walls. )
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To: NorthWoody

Probably a subordinate to the filthy democrat carpet muncher Moriarty.


18 posted on 05/30/2026 12:05:03 PM PDT by Bonemaker (invictus maneo )
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To: MtnClimber

The one standing next to her reminds me of the “dead eyes” mug shots I’ve seen posted here.


19 posted on 05/30/2026 12:54:07 PM PDT by mass55th (“Courage is being scared to death, but saddling up anyway.” ― John Wayne)
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To: MtnClimber

The state of Minnesota cannot arrest a federal officer.


20 posted on 05/30/2026 1:13:46 PM PDT by Georgia Girl 2 (The only purpose of a pistol is to fight your way back to the rifle you should never have dropped)
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