Overview
- Hennepin County prosecutors say Christian Castro was taken into custody in Hidalgo County, Texas, following a nationwide warrant and an investigation by the Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension.
- Authorities charged Castro on May 18 with four counts of second-degree assault and one count of falsely reporting a crime for allegedly firing through the front door of a north Minneapolis home and wounding Julio Cesar Sosa-Celis.
- Video, ShotSpotter audio and physical evidence later contradicted the agents’ initial account that the occupants attacked officers, prompting federal prosecutors to drop charges against the two men originally accused.
- Investigators say the arrest on Friday involved Texas Rangers and Department of Homeland Security Office of Inspector General agents with BCA investigators present, and federal internal and criminal reviews of officers’ statements remain open.
- The case is likely to prompt a defense effort to move the matter to federal court on Supremacy Clause grounds, and Minnesota officials say they will continue prosecution either way as the dispute over access to evidence and accountability unfolds during Operation Metro Surge.