ICE Officer Charged in Minneapolis Shooting Released After Texas Rejects Immediate Extradition

Christian Castro, an Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) officer charged with shooting a man in Minneapolis, has been released from a Texas jail following the rejection of an immediate extradition request by Minnesota. Castro was released from the Cameron County Jail on Thursday, August 27, 2026, after a federal judge denied Minnesota's plea for a temporary restraining order to keep him in custody. The decision comes as Texas law limits detention for extradition purposes to 90 days, a period Castro reached, and Texas Governor Greg Abbott has not yet signed the rendition warrant for his transfer to Minnesota, citing an ongoing investigation into the demand.

The ICE officer faces four counts of second-degree assault and one count of falsely reporting a crime in Minnesota, stemming from a January 14 incident where he allegedly shot Julio Cesar Sosa-Celis in the leg during "Operation Metro Surge" and subsequently lied about the circumstances. Minnesota authorities expressed concerns that Castro might flee to Mexico if released, citing his jailhouse phone conversations. However, the federal judge sided with Texas, stating that the matter was not "ripe for adjudication" because Governor Abbott had not officially refused the extradition, only initiated an investigation, and there is no specified deadline for a governor to act on such requests.