HUMSI — Human Security Initiative

Human Impact Project

A living database documenting reported immigration enforcement incidents and their human impact.

Venezuelan man shot through door by ICE agent during raid; agent later charged

Oct 4, 2026·Location: Minneapolis, MN

Country of origin: Venezuela

Venezuelan man shot through door by ICE agent during raid; agent later charged
Photo via NBC News

Julio Cesar Sosa-Celis, a 24-year-old Venezuelan man living in north Minneapolis, was shot in the leg through his front door by ICE agent Christian Castro during a January 2026 raid tied to Operation Metro Surge. His partner, Indriany Mendoza Camacho, said agents threw tear gas into the home, which had children present, before entering to detain him; the bullet also traveled into a child's room. Federal prosecutors initially charged Sosa-Celis and his cousin/roommate Alfredo Alejandro Aljorna with assaulting officers with a shovel and broom, but surveillance video contradicted the officers' sworn testimony, and the charges were dismissed after the Justice Department acknowledged agents had lied under oath. ICE's Acting Director Todd Lyons said two officers may have lied and placed them on leave. Hennepin County prosecutors later charged Castro with four counts of second-degree assault and falsely reporting a crime; he was arrested in Texas by DHS agents and Texas Rangers. Texas Governor Greg Abbott refused to extradite Castro, prompting a lawsuit from Minnesota's attorney general, and the Justice Department subsequently charged Castro only with making false statements. An Assistant U.S. Attorney who objected to that decision was fired and is now under investigation for allegedly leaking case information.

Timeline

Jun 18, 2026—Human Rights Watch reported that Texas Governor Greg Abbott refused to extradite Castro, leading to his release, a Justice Department decision to charge him only with making false statements, the firing of an objecting Assistant U.S. Attorney, and a lawsuit by Minnesota's attorney general over the extradition refusal
May 29, 2026—Castro was arrested in Texas by Department of Homeland Security agents and Texas Rangers
May 18, 2026—Hennepin County prosecutors charged Castro with four counts of second-degree assault and one count of falsely reporting a crime, issuing a nationwide arrest warrant
Feb 1, 2026—Federal charges against Sosa-Celis and his cousin/roommate Alfredo Alejandro Aljorna were dismissed after the Justice Department acknowledged ICE agents made false statements under oath
Jan 14, 2026—ICE agent Christian Castro shot Julio Cesar Sosa-Celis through his front door during a raid under Operation Metro Surge; agents threw tear gas into the home where children were present
Suggest a correction, comment, or update

Sources

More incidents in Minnesota