MINNEAPOLIS (AP) — A federal immigration agent accused of shooting and wounding a Venezuelan man in January and of lying to investigators about the circumstances briefly appeared before a Minnesota judge Thursday, after state authorities arrested him ahead of a separate hearing in federal court.
At Thursday's hearing, Judge Paul Scoggin granted bail to Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agent Christian Castro. Castro was wearing an orange uniform and appeared behind a glass enclosure.
His attorney, Daniel Gerdts, declined to comment after the hearing.
Castro had been held without bail after the Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension arrested him Wednesday in downtown Minneapolis on state charges of assault and filing a false report of a crime stemming from the shooting of Julio Cesar Sosa Celis. Scoggin set bail at $400,000 without conditions and $200,000 with conditions.
Castro also faces federal charges stemming from the shooting, which occurred during a federal immigration crackdown in the Minneapolis area. Prosecutors allege that Castro falsely told investigators he had been attacked with a broom and a shovel.
The agent's arrest came months after Minnesota's indictment. Castro's arrest by Minnesota authorities and his appearance in state court followed a dispute between Minnesota prosecutors and the governor of Texas over Minnesota's attempts to extradite Castro from his home state to face the state charges. One of the conditions Scoggin set for the lower bail amount was that Castro not oppose extradition if released.
The lead county prosecutor in the state case told reporters after the hearing that "Castro fabricated a story to justify having fired through the front door into a house with several people inside."
"His appearance today in a Hennepin County courtroom is a critical step in our efforts to hold him accountable for that shooting," said Hennepin County Attorney Mary Moriarty at a press conference.
Castro is also accused in the federal case of lying about the shooting. Castro's next court appearance is scheduled for Friday. It will take place in federal court in Minneapolis and relates to the separate federal case in which he is charged with making false statements to investigators about the same shooting. Castro's defense attorneys in the federal case have indicated he plans to plead not guilty.
It is the Justice Department's first prosecution of a federal agent for actions carried out during this year's large-scale immigration crackdown, called Operation Metro Surge, which brought thousands of agents to the Twin Cities and led to protests, arrests, and the shooting deaths of two American citizens at the hands of federal agents.
In both the federal and state cases, prosecutors allege that Castro shot Sosa Celis, 24, in the leg through the front door of a Minneapolis residence. They allege that the agent then falsely reported he had been attacked with a broom handle and a snow shovel before firing his weapon.
The Trump administration claims that only federal authorities have jurisdiction. Minnesota authorities have clashed with President Donald Trump's administration over who should handle any charges against Castro. The Department of Homeland Security has described Minnesota's prosecution of the agent as "unlawful and a pure political maneuver," asserting that only federal authorities have jurisdiction.
Minnesota charged Castro months before his federal indictment. He was arrested in Texas in May on the Minnesota charges. But Texas Governor Greg Abbott refused last month to sign an extradition order to hand him over to Minnesota authorities. He was released in Texas and shortly afterward was indicted on the federal charges. He then turned himself in to federal authorities and returned to Minnesota on his own.
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