Minnesota authorities arrested 52-year-old Christian Castro on Friday for allegedly shooting Venezuelan national Julio Sosa-Celis through a wall on January 14. Surveillance footage contradicted Castro's self-defense claim that he was attacked with a broom and shovel, according to the Hennepin County Attorney's Office. Castro now faces four counts of second-degree assault with a dangerous weapon and one count of falsely reporting a crime.

The surveillance video that disproved Castro's broom-and-shovel defense

According to the source, Castro initially told law enforcement that he fired his weapon after being attacked with a broom and shovel. However, the Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension (BCA) obtained surveillance footage that contradicted that account, showing the shooting was unwarranted. The video evidence became the linchpin of the case, leading to an arrest warrant issued on May 18.

Two state attorneys general weigh in on an ICE-related shooting

Hennepin County Attorney Mary Moriarty called the arrest a "critical step forward," thanking the BCA for its investigative work,as the source reported. minnesota Attorney General Keith Ellison noted that Castro is presumed innocent but emphasized that "nobody is above the law, including agents of the federal government." The report adds that Castro allegedly lied to his ICE supervisors to justify the shooting, suggesting he was acting in some official capacity at the time.

Why the January 14 shooting was eclipsed by two other fatal incidents

The shooting of Sosa-Celis occurred between two other fatal shootings—those of Renee Good and Alex Pretti—according to the source. That sequence, combined with heightened tension surrounding a court-ordered crackdown on illegal immigration in Minneapolis and St. Paul,meant Castro's case initially drew less public attention. The broader crackdown led to a surge in ICE presence and confrontations with local activists, earning nationwide attention for weeks before ICE became less publicity-focused following public outcry.

Castro's federal role and the victim's recovery: what the source did not reveal

The source does not specify whether Castro was on duty at the time of the shooting or provide details about Sosa-Celis's current health condition. it also leaves unclear exactly what instructions ICE supervisors had given Castro regarding enforcement. As the case proceeds in Hennepin County, these unanswered points will likely shape both the legal strategy and public understanding of the incident.