ICE agent in shooting case may go free as extradition request denied by judge

A federal judge has denied Minnesota's request to extradite a US immigration agent facing assault charges, clearing the way for his release. Christian Castro, jailed in Brownsville, Texas, since May 29, will be freed Thursday as his 90-day extradition detention limit expires.

Minnesota authorities sought Castro's extradition to face four counts of second-degree assault with a dangerous weapon and a charge of falsely reporting a crime. These charges stem from a January incident where Castro allegedly shot Julio Cesar Sosa-Celis, an unarmed Venezuelan national, during a deportation surge in Minneapolis. Prosecutors claim Castro then fabricated his reason for using lethal force.

The ruling has become a point of contention between Texas Governor Greg Abbott, who supported Trump's deportation efforts, and Minnesota's Democratic leaders. Abbott questioned whether Castro, reassigned to Texas by the Department of Homeland Security after the shooting, should be considered a fugitive subject to extradition.

Castro, an agent with US Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), was arrested by Texas Rangers on a Minnesota court warrant. It remains unclear if he has retained legal representation. The Minneapolis deportation sweep, known as Operation Metro Surge, previously led to protests and confrontations, including two fatal shootings of US citizens by immigration officers.