What happened
On September 4, 2026, the U.S. Attorney's Office for the District of Minnesota announced that a federal grand jury had indicted Christian Jeremiah Castro, 52, of Texas, on September 2. The charges are six counts of making materially false statements to the FBI during an interview on January 14, the night of a shooting during an immigration stop in north Minneapolis. The release says Castro made an initial appearance before a U.S. Magistrate Judge in the Southern District of Texas on September 4, and that each count carries a maximum penalty of five years in prison.
According to the indictment, as the release describes it: on January 14, Castro and his partner, working as ICE Deportation Officers, tried to stop a vehicle driven by a then-26-year-old citizen of Venezuela. The driver kept going. Castro pursued him by vehicle and on foot and tried to apprehend him in the front yard of a duplex. A second person, a then-24-year-old resident of Venezuela who lived at the duplex, tried to help the driver. The physical struggle lasted approximately 11 seconds. As the two men ran inside and began to close the front door, Castro stood up, drew his service weapon and fired a single shot through the door. The second man was struck in the leg, and the bullet lodged in a wall of the downstairs apartment. Multiple people, including minor children, were inside the building at the time.
Later that night an FBI special agent interviewed Castro. The release says Castro described being hit with a red broom and a black snow shovel by unknown men, said the fight lasted about three minutes, and said he fired one round in the men's general direction as they ran toward the house. The grand jury charged that six statements from that interview were knowingly and willfully false. The investigation was carried out by the ICE Office of Professional Responsibility, the Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension, the DHS Office of Inspector General and the FBI. The Justice Department says it “has not ruled out additional charges.” The release also includes the standard reminder: “An indictment is merely an allegation.”
Who this is about
This is a federal criminal case against one ICE officer, brought by federal prosecutors. The two men from Venezuela are identified only as Person 1 and Person 2. The release does not say what happened to them afterward, whether either was taken into immigration custody, or whether any immigration case followed. It does not say who filmed or witnessed the incident, and it does not mention video evidence.
The release describes no change to ICE operations, policy or staffing in Minneapolis or anywhere else. It is about what one officer told the FBI about one incident.
What it does not mean
- It does not mean the officer has been found guilty. An indictment is an accusation; the case will be decided in court.
- It does not mean the shooting itself has been charged. The six counts are for false statements. Prosecutors say they have not ruled out more charges, but none have been announced.
- It does not mean immigration enforcement in Minneapolis or elsewhere has stopped or changed.
- It does not create any right, benefit or protection for people who were present at, or affected by, an immigration operation. What an encounter with ICE means for a particular person depends on that person's own case.
What to do with this
If you or someone you know had an encounter with immigration officers and is unsure what it means for their situation, the person to ask is a licensed immigration attorney or a DOJ-accredited representative at a recognized nonprofit. The organizations below are a place to start.
Advocasí is not a law firm. We explain what a policy says and help people prepare their own paperwork once a qualified advisor has told them which path applies.