ICE agent makes first appearance in Hennepin County court on assault charges
Hennepin County Jail Booking Photo
Published: September 17th, 2026.
MINNEAPOLIS: — An Immigration and Customs Enforcement agent accused of firing a gun through the front door of a home, striking a man in the leg and later falsely reporting a crime made his first appearance Thursday in Hennepin County District Court.
Christian Castro is charged in state court with four counts of second-degree assault and one count of falsely reporting a crime, according to the Hennepin County Attorney’s Office.
Prosecutors allege that on Jan. 14, Castro fired his weapon through the front door of a home while multiple people were inside. A bullet struck Julio Sosa-Celis in the leg before lodging in the wall of a child’s bedroom, according to the county attorney’s office.
During Castro’s first court appearance, prosecutors requested $500,000 unconditional bail or $350,000 conditional bail. The court instead set bail at $400,000 without conditions or $200,000 with conditions.
According to the Hennepin County Attorney’s Office, conditions of Castro’s release include no contact with witnesses, no possession of weapons, surrendering his passport, electronic monitoring, supervised release and a pre-signed waiver of extradition.
“The process of holding Mr. Castro accountable for firing his weapon through a front door, striking Julio Sosa-Celis, endangering the lives of others, and falsely reporting a crime has begun,” Hennepin County Attorney Mary Moriarty said in a statement.
Moriarty also emphasized that Castro is entitled to a fair trial and said her thoughts were with those affected by the incident.
The county attorney’s office said Sosa-Celis and another man, identified as Mr. Aljorna, were previously charged with federal crimes based on reports made by Castro. Those charges were later dismissed after video evidence was produced that prosecutors say contradicted Castro’s account.
Castro’s next state court appearance is scheduled for Nov. 3 at 1:30 p.m.
The charges against Castro are allegations. He is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty in court.