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ICE officer charged in Minneapolis shooting released in Texas after extradition denied

Christian Castro left a Brownsville jail Thursday after a federal judge refused to order Gov. Greg Abbott to extradite him or to keep the sheriff from releasing him at the 90-day limit.

ICE officer Christian Castro, charged in Minnesota in the Jan. 14 shooting of Julio Cesar Sosa-Celis in Minneapolis, was released Thursday from jail in Brownsville, Texas, after a 90-day extradition hold expired. U.S. District Judge Fernando Rodriguez Jr. denied Minnesota's bid to force Gov. Greg Abbott to sign a rendition warrant or to block Cameron County's sheriff from releasing him, saying Abbott has neither agreed nor refused and the case is not ripe. Attorney General Keith Ellison said Minnesota will keep litigating and officials fear Castro could flee to Mexico.

Shared facts

A Texas federal judge denied Minnesota's request to compel extradition of an ICE agent charged in a Minneapolis shooting.

The Wednesday ruling opens the door for Castro's release from the Brownsville jail on Thursday when the 90-day detention clock expires.

The warrant charged him with four felony counts of second-degree assault with a dangerous weapon and a misdemeanor count of falsely reporting a crime.

U.S. District Judge Fernando Rodriguez Jr. of the Southern District of Texas issued the order.

Castro shot and wounded Julio Cesar Sosa-Celis on January 14.

Castro is accused of shooting at Julio Sosa-Celis through the door of a north Minneapolis home on Jan. 14.

The judge denied a TRO that would have blocked the Cameron County sheriff from releasing Castro and required Abbott to sign an extradition warrant.

The judge wrote Minnesota had not shown harm because Abbott had neither denied nor approved the warrant and Castro had not yet been released.

Video evidence contradicted Castro's sworn statement.

Castro has been jailed in Brownsville, Texas, since May 29.

The Minneapolis deportation sweep was called Operation Metro Surge.

Castro initially told FBI investigators that Sosa-Celis and others attacked him with a snow shovel and a broom handle.

Cameron County Sheriff Manuel Treviño was the official who would release Castro.

Trevino's counsel said Castro would be released without a court order or rendition warrant signed by Abbott.

Castro was arrested in Cameron County on Minnesota's warrant.

With less than two weeks before Castro's release, Ellison sued asking the court to compel Abbott to sign a rendition warrant or bar Sheriff Manuel Treviño from releasing him.

The judge acknowledged Castro could attempt to flee the U.S. after release.

The judge ruled Minnesota's bid was not ripe because Abbott has not yet taken action on the warrant.

Walz said Texas and Minnesota have previously fulfilled every extradition and this case should be no different.

Minnesota officials made multiple extradition requests.

Minnesota alleged Abbott refused to sign and withheld the rendition warrant.

Minnesota cited jailhouse calls with a woman in Mexico in which Castro talked about buying property and moving there.

The Texas secretary of state's office is reviewing whether Castro meets the definition of a fugitive under federal extradition law.

Rodriguez ruled the lawsuit was premature because Abbott has not yet denied the extradition request.

Christian Castro is 52 years old.

Ellison said Minnesota will keep litigating to return Castro to face charges.

Rodriguez concluded the law does not require Abbott to turn over a fugitive within a certain time frame.

The court noted Abbott has considered the request for an atypically long duration.

Abbott questioned whether Castro is a fugitive because he was reassigned to Texas by DHS after the shooting rather than fleeing Minnesota.

At a Tuesday hearing, Abbott's attorneys said he needed more time to investigate Minnesota's request.

The judge issued a 13-page order.

DHS said an officer fired a defensive shot after being attacked with a snow shovel and broom handle.

It drew weeks of demonstrations and confrontations between protesters and ICE agents.

Abbott demanded Minnesota repay Americans for fraud under federal programs.

Shared opinions

Mahaleris said the court was right to reject Walz's absurd claim.

Mahaleris said the order rebuffs Minnesota's effort to conscript federal courts into commandeering Abbott's authority.

Walz said the United States is a nation of laws and it is incumbent on all to uphold them.

Mahaleris said the Constitution requires deliberate consideration of whether the person demanded is a fugitive.

Ellison said Castro will not escape justice in Minnesota.

Ellison said Abbott is playing with constitutional fire.

Associated Press

ICE officer charged in Minneapolis shooting released in Texas after immediate extradition rejected

Michael Gonzalez and Valerie Gonzalez, Associated Press

27 Aug 2026

Facts

The officer was released from a Texas jail Thursday.

Christian Castro was released at dawn from a Brownsville detention center.

A Minnesota judge issued a nationwide warrant for Castro's arrest in May.

Sosa-Celis is 24 years old.

Minnesota's Bureau of Criminal Apprehension was among the authorities in the arrest.

The judge said Minnesota must prove Abbott has already violated the law, not that he may do so later.

Abbott press secretary Andrew Mahaleris welcomed the ruling.

The judge said the threat Castro could flee does not by itself make the case ripe.

President Trump used that fraud investigation to justify his immigration crackdown in Minnesota.

Opinion

Mahaleris said it is the governor's duty to carefully consider extradition requests.

CBS News

Judge denies Minnesota's request to halt release of ICE officer charged in Minneapolis shooting

Aki Nace and Stephen Swanson

26 Aug 2026

Facts

Two other people were arrested.

Ellison said Abbott's apparent refusal to extradite is extremely rare, if not unprecedented.

Moriarty said Abbott can still prevent Castro from walking out of jail by signing the extradition paperwork.

Hennepin County Attorney Mary Moriarty on Wednesday renewed calls for Abbott to turn over Castro.

The victim's wife called 911 to say her husband had been chased by ICE agents and shot in front of his family.

DHS said the man had fled officers, crashed into a parked car, and then resisted arrest.

Cellphone video shared by Minnesota Sen. Erin Maye Quade appeared to show the shooting's aftermath.

Opinion

Ellison said he respectfully but strongly disagrees with the court's order.

Ellison said extradition is ministerial and the governor has no discretion.

Abbott said he will not respond until Minnesota steps up and does what is right.

Ellison said it feels like Abbott is harboring a fugitive.

At a news conference last week Abbott was defiant and switched focus to Minnesota's fraud crisis.

Moriarty said Abbott can stop harboring a fugitive by signing the paperwork.

Moriarty said if Castro disappears into Mexico it will be Greg Abbott's fault.

Deutsche Welle

Judge Denies Minnesota's Demands For Texas To Extradite ICE Officer

Jennie Taer

26 Aug 2026

Facts

Moriarty said Castro fired at a north Minneapolis home intending to cause fear of immediate bodily harm or death to four adults just inside the door.

The bullet hit Julio Sosa-Celis in the leg, then traveled through a closet into a child's bedroom wall.

Ellison said Castro claimed he fired in self-defense.

DHS initially said Sosa-Celis tried to evade arrest and violently assault a federal officer.

Then-Acting ICE Director Todd Lyons announced in February a federal probe after video showed officers' sworn testimony appeared untruthful.

DHS said two people came out of a nearby apartment and attacked the officer with a snow shovel and broom handle.

DHS said Sosa-Celis got loose and began striking the officer with a shovel or broomstick.

DHS said Sosa-Celis and two others ran back into the apartment and barricaded themselves before ICE took them into custody.

A federal judge later dismissed charges against the two migrants after the video emerged.

Four days later, Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz asked Abbott to extradite Castro.

Opinion

Lyons said lying under oath is a serious federal offense.

Lyons said ICE officers are held to the highest standards of professionalism, integrity, and ethical conduct.

Lyons said ICE remains committed to transparency, accountability, and fair enforcement of immigration laws.

Fox News

Judge clears path for ICE agent accused in Minnesota shooting case to leave Texas jail

Stepheny Price

26 Aug 2026

Facts

Court filings described the woman on the jail calls as Castro's romantic partner living in Progreso, Mexico.

Minnesota argued that if Castro left the country it could take months or years to return and prosecute him.

Minnesota formally requested extradition in early June.

Directing the secretary of state to investigate is a step permitted under Texas' Uniform Criminal Extradition Act.

Rodriguez signaled skepticism of Texas' fugitive reasoning in a footnote.

He noted long-standing precedent appears to focus on whether an accused person left the state, not why.

The ruling leaves Castro's immediate fate in Abbott's hands.

Minnesota prosecutors separately charged ICE agent Gregory Morgan Jr. with two counts of second-degree assault for allegedly pointing a handgun at motorists.

The judge said that question did not alter Wednesday's decision.

Opinion

The ruling was a major setback for Minnesota's fight to keep Castro jailed.

Ellison accused Abbott of turning Texas into a sanctuary state for violent criminals.

Ellison said Minnesota should never have had to file the lawsuit or motion.

DHS accused Minnesota sanctuary politicians of staging a political stunt.

Minnesota officials have argued the agents' alleged conduct fell outside their federal law-enforcement duties.

The Hill

Judge rejects Minnesota push to extradite ICE officer from Texas

Sophie Brams

26 Aug 2026

Facts

DHS later said it was investigating what appeared to be untruthful statements after reviewing video.

Sosa-Celis was hit in the thigh and taken to a hospital.

The Justice Department is reportedly weighing federal charges against Castro.

Opinion

The decision was a win for Abbott.

Abbott argued he was not obligated to hand Castro over to Minnesota.

KSTP

Judge denies Minnesota's request to force extradition of ICE agent from Texas

Kyle Brown

26 Aug 2026

Facts

Castro was arrested in Harlingen, Texas, on May 29.

Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz asked Abbott to extradite Castro shortly after the arrest.

The judge sympathized with Texas' argument that it had not finished investigating whether Castro qualified as a refugee because ICE ordered his relocation as a condition of employment.

Rodriguez is a Trump appointee.

Castro was acting as an ICE officer during Operation Metro Surge when the shooting occurred.

Castro was placed on leave as the Justice Department investigated whether he lied under oath.

Opinion

No opinion marked.

The Jerusalem Post

ICE agent in shooting case may go free as extradition request denied by judge

Reuters

27 Aug 2026

Facts

Castro was arrested by Texas Rangers acting on a Minnesota court warrant.

Prosecutors say Castro fabricated his reason for using lethal force against a man who was unarmed.

Immigration officers fatally shot two U.S. citizens during those confrontations.

Minnesota says how or why Castro ended up in Texas is immaterial.

Minnesota says the Constitution and federal law require states to extradite people wanted for crimes in another state.

The Sosa-Celis shooting has lingered as a flashpoint between the Texas and Minnesota governors over immigration.

The judge sided with Texas officials a day after hearing arguments.

Abbott has been a supporter of Trump's deportation efforts.

Castro could not be reached for comment, and it was unclear whether he had retained a lawyer.

Minnesota Democratic leaders, including Walz, have condemned Trump's surge of armed ICE patrols.

The judge acknowledged fleeing could impose a hardship on Minnesota's prosecutorial efforts, but said that did not alter his conclusions.

Opinion

No opinion marked.