An Immigration and Customs Enforcement agent from the Rio Grande Valley made his first appearance in Minnesota state court on Thursday on charges of shooting a Venezuelan man and lying about it to authorities.

Christian Jeremiah Castro faces four counts of assault with a dangerous weapon and one count of falsely reporting a crime in connection with the January 2026 shooting of Julio Sosa-Celis.

Bail for Castro was set at $200,000, according to the Minnesota Attorney General’s Office.

Castro was arrested and jailed on those charges in Minnesota on Wednesday. He also faces federal charges in connection with the same shooting.

According to the criminal complaint, Castro fired a gun at the front door of an occupied Minneapolis home on Jan. 14, injuring Julio Cesar Sosa-Celis in the leg. The bullet's final impact point was a child's bedroom wall.

Castro told authorities he had shot at Sosa-Celis and one other man because they attacked him with a broom and shovel, but an indictment accused Castro of lying about those details.

Castro was arrested in Harlingen in May on the state charges, but was released from the Cameron County jail on Aug. 27 after 90 days in custody. His release happened after Texas Gov. Greg Abbott refused to immediately sign an extradition warrant for Castro.

Minnesota officials filed a lawsuit demanding Abbott sign the extradition paperwork. Attorneys for Abbott said his office has not denied the extradition and that he ordered the Texas Secretary of State's office to investigate whether Castro was legally a fugitive. A federal judge denied that request the day before Castro was released from custody.

“I have repeatedly said that no matter how long Greg Abbott gives him sanctuary, Christian Castro will not escape justice in Minnesota. Today, Castro has begun facing justice here,” Minnesota Attorney General Ellison said in a statement. “I should never have had to file a lawsuit to compel Texas to extradite Castro to Minnesota in the first place and I hope never to have to file another one like it — but I will not hesitate to do so to pursue justice for Minnesotans, wherever it leads me. In the meantime, Greg Abbott has gotten away with nothing — except turning Texas into a sanctuary state for violent criminals.”

Ellison voluntarily dismissed the lawsuit against Abbott without prejudice following Castro’s arrest, according to the news release.

Castro is also scheduled to appear in federal court in Saint Paul on Sept. 18.

If he makes bail, Castro must remain a law-abiding citizen, possess no firearms or other weapons, surrender his passport if returned by the federal government, be on electronic home monitoring, and have no contact with witnesses, including his ICE team members.

Castro also signed a waiver of any future extradition proceedings. His next court appearance is scheduled for Nov. 3, 2026.