A Rio Grande Valley-based U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement officer was booked Wednesday in the Hennepin County jail in Minnesota on charges of shooting a Venezuelan man and lying about it.

According to a statement from the Hennepin County Attorney’s Office, ICE agent Christian Castro was arrested on Wednesday by the Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension on state charges.

The arrest was first reported by KSTP-TV, the Minnesota ABC affiliate.

Castro was previously in federal custody in McAllen after he was indicted on federal charges of lying to the FBI in connection with the Minnesota shooting. 

According to previous reports, Castro falsely told investigators that he was attacked with a broom and shovel before he opened fire during an immigration crackdown in Minnesota in January 2026.

The shooting injured Julio Cesar Sosa-Celis of Venezuela.

According to the Associated Press, federal prosecutors originally charged Sosa-Celis and one other man, Alfredo Alejandro Aljorna, with assault. The charges were dropped after video evidence showed the officer may have lied about the encounter. 

Castro was later transferred back to Texas. He also faces Minneapolis state charges in connection with the shooting.

Castro was arrested in Harlingen in May on state charges of assault with a deadly weapon and falsely reporting a crime. He was released from the Cameron County jail on Aug. 27 after 90 days in custody on those state charges. His release happened after Texas Gov. Greg Abbott refused to immediately sign an extradition warrant for Castro. 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.

“Gov. Abbott’s attempt to shield Mr. Castro from accountability has failed. We look forward to commencing our prosecution,” the Hennepin County Attorney’s Office said in a statement.

Castro is expected to make his first court appearance in Hennepin County on the state charges on Thursday. He also has a federal hearing in Minnesota on Friday.