--- title: "ICE Officer Christian Castro Charged with False Statements in Minneapolis Shooting" publication: "MediaBias News" url: "https://mediabias.news/conflict/ice-officer-christian-castro-charged-with-false-statements-in-minneapolis-shooti" api: "https://mediabias.news/api/v1/stories/ice-officer-christian-castro-charged-with-false-statements-in-minneapolis-shooti" markdown: "https://mediabias.news/conflict/ice-officer-christian-castro-charged-with-false-statements-in-minneapolis-shooti.md" audio: "https://mediabias.news/api/audio/ice-officer-christian-castro-charged-with-false-statements-in-minneapolis-shooti" category: "Conflict & Security" area: "United States" published: "2026-09-03T17:25:24.770Z" source_reported: "2026-09-03T16:56:35.000Z" updated: "2026-09-03T17:25:24.770Z" trust_score: 80 critic_score: 65 hype_score: 15 assessment_type: "coverage-and-source-reporting-analysis" fact_check_status: "not-performed" coverage_measured: "2026-09-03T17:15:11.946708+00:00" --- # ICE Officer Christian Castro Charged with False Statements in Minneapolis Shooting *An ICE officer faces federal charges for allegedly lying about the January shooting of Julio Cesar Sosa-Celis.* **Scores for the source reporting** (0-100, assessing the original journalism this article was written from, not this write-up): - Trust 80 of 100, higher is better. AP report names officer, victim, and charges; 38 digests corroborate. - Craft 65 of 100, higher is better. Full reports quote sources; digests lack depth but are clear. - Hype 15 of 100, lower is better. Headlines are measured; no outlet overstates the charges. Scored by MediaBias News; method at https://mediabias.news/methodology. **The short version** - ICE officer Christian Castro faces federal charges for allegedly making false statements regarding the January shooting of Julio Cesar Sosa-Celis in Minneapolis. - Federal prosecutors are considering whether to bring civil rights charges against Castro. - Local authorities had previously charged Castro with assault and making a false report. - Charges against Sosa-Celis and another man were dropped after video evidence suggested officers may have lied about the incident. Christian Castro, an Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) officer, has been federally charged with making false statements concerning the January shooting of Julio Cesar Sosa-Celis in Minneapolis. The charges stem from allegations that Castro lied about the events leading up to him shooting Sosa-Celis in the leg. The Associated Press reported the federal charges, citing a person familiar with the matter. Castro had previously been charged locally with second-degree assault and making a false report in connection with the same incident. Federal authorities initially accused Sosa-Celis and another individual of assaulting an officer during the incident. However, these charges were later dropped after video evidence emerged that suggested officers may have provided false accounts of the encounter. The Department of Justice is reportedly still considering whether to pursue civil rights charges against Castro. ## Disagreement on civil rights charges The Associated Press reported that a federal prosecutor working on the case had told lawyers for Sosa-Celis and other victims that Justice Department officials blocked his efforts to bring a more serious civil rights charge against Castro. However, a person familiar with the investigation disputed this account, stating that the probe is ongoing and no final decision has been made regarding additional charges. This same source also stated that the prosecutor involved was fired and is now under investigation for alleged obstruction of a grand jury probe. ## What the coverage left out None of the right-rated reports printed below mention that federal authorities are still considering whether to bring civil rights charges against Castro. The right-rated report also does not mention that Castro was previously charged locally with second-degree assault and making a false report. ## Who covered it Shares of the 43 covering outlets with a published leaning rating: - Left: 40% (17) - Centre: 58% (25) - Right: 2% (1) 1 of 44 covering outlets carried no usable leaning rating and were excluded from those percentages. Coverage measured 2026-09-03T17:15:11.946708+00:00. **Coverage watch:** developing. Checked 1 time; 0 checks found a material change. Most recently checked 2026-09-03T17:30:18.160Z. ## How the sides framed it ### Left - Left-rated reports highlighted that federal prosecutors have charged ICE officer Christian Castro with lying to investigators about the shooting of Julio Cesar Sosa-Celis. Multiple reports noted that charges against Sosa-Celis and another man were dropped after video evidence emerged suggesting officers may have lied. Some reports mentioned that a federal prosecutor's push for civil rights charges against Castro was reportedly blocked by Justice Department officials, though this was disputed by another source familiar with the investigation. The Associated Press was frequently cited as the source for these details. ### Centre - Centre-rated reports focused on the federal charges against ICE officer Christian Castro for making false statements related to the shooting of Julio Cesar Sosa-Celis. Many reports stated that the charges were based on reporting from the Associated Press. They also noted that Sosa-Celis and another man had initial charges dropped after video evidence contradicted officer accounts. The consideration of civil rights charges against Castro was also mentioned. ### Right - The single right-rated report stated that federal prosecutors have charged a U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement officer with lying to investigators about the events leading up to the shooting of a Venezuelan man during the Minneapolis immigration crackdown earlier this year, according to a person familiar with the matter. This report did not include further details on the specific charges or the context of the dropped charges against the victim. ## Factuality profile of the covering outlets These are published factuality ratings of the outlets, not a verdict on whether this story or its claims are true. - mixed: 1 - high: 27 - unknown: 2 - veryHigh: 14 ## Verification scope This page compares coverage and scores the source reporting. It is not a ClaimReview verdict on whether the underlying event or claim is true. ## Original reporting this was written from - [KRDO](https://krdo.com/news/2026/09/03/ice-agent-federally-charged-with-lying-over-shooting-of-a-venezuelan-immigrant) — ICE agent federally charged with lying over shooting of a Venezuelan immigrant - [WLKY](https://wlky.com/article/ice-officer-charged-minneapolis-shooting/73606190) — ICE officer charged with lying to investigators in the shooting of Venezuelan man, AP reports - [WDSU](https://wdsu.com/article/ice-officer-charged-minneapolis-shooting/73606190) — ICE officer charged with lying to investigators in the shooting of Venezuelan man, AP reports - [KCCI](https://kcci.com/article/ice-officer-charged-minneapolis-shooting/73606190) — ICE officer charged with lying to investigators in the shooting of Venezuelan man, AP reports - [WISN](https://wisn.com/article/ice-officer-charged-minneapolis-shooting/73606190) — ICE officer charged with lying to investigators in the shooting of Venezuelan man, AP reports - [WBAL-TV](https://wbaltv.com/article/ice-officer-charged-minneapolis-shooting/73606190) — ICE officer charged with lying to investigators in the shooting of Venezuelan man, AP reports - [WVTM](https://wvtm13.com/article/ice-officer-charged-minneapolis-shooting/73606190) — ICE officer charged with lying to investigators in the shooting of Venezuelan man, AP reports - [WGAL](https://wgal.com/article/ice-officer-charged-minneapolis-shooting/73606190) — ICE officer charged with lying to investigators in the shooting of Venezuelan man, AP reports - [WXII](https://wxii12.com/article/ice-officer-charged-minneapolis-shooting/73606190) — ICE officer charged with lying to investigators in the shooting of Venezuelan man, AP reports - [KHBS](https://4029tv.com/article/ice-officer-charged-minneapolis-shooting/73606190) — ICE officer charged with lying to investigators in the shooting of Venezuelan man, AP reports - [MOR-TV](https://mor-tv.com/article/ice-officer-charged-minneapolis-shooting/73606190) — ICE officer charged with lying to investigators in the shooting of Venezuelan man, AP reports - [Boston Globe](https://bostonglobe.com/2026/09/03/nation/trump-presidency-live-updates) — ICE officer reportedly charged with lying to investigators in shooting of Venezuelan man. Follow live updates. - The Boston Globe - [WNDU](https://wndu.com/2026/09/03/ice-officer-charged-with-lying-investigators-shooting-venezuelan-man-ap-source-says) — ICE officer charged with lying to investigators in the shooting of Venezuelan man, AP source says - [WSMV Nashville](https://wsmv.com/2026/09/03/ice-officer-charged-with-lying-investigators-shooting-venezuelan-man-ap-source-says) — ICE officer charged with lying to investigators in the shooting of Venezuelan man, AP source says - [NOTUS](https://notus.org/courts/ice-immigration-customs-enforcement-officer-lying-minnesota-shooting-venezuelan-man) — ICE Officer Accused of Lying to Investigators About Minnesota Shooting - [Chicago Tribune](https://chicagotribune.com/2026/09/03/ice-officer-charged-shooting-venezuelan-man) — ICE officer charged with lying to investigators in the shooting of Venezuelan man, AP source says - [Elora Fergus Today](https://elorafergustoday.com/world-news/ap-source-ice-officer-charged-with-lying-to-investigators-in-the-shooting-of-venezuelan-man-12739954) — AP Source: ICE officer charged with lying to investigators in the shooting of Venezuelan man - [Bay Today](https://baytoday.ca/world-news/ap-source-ice-officer-charged-with-lying-to-investigators-in-the-shooting-of-venezuelan-man-12739954) — AP Source: ICE officer charged with lying to investigators in the shooting of Venezuelan man - [CFJC Today Kamloops](https://cfjctoday.com/2026/09/03/ap-source-ice-officer-charged-with-lying-to-investigators-in-the-shooting-of-venezuelan-man) — AP Source: ICE officer charged with lying to investigators in the shooting of Venezuelan man - [thealbertan.com](https://thealbertan.com/world-news/ap-source-ice-officer-charged-with-lying-to-investigators-in-the-shooting-of-venezuelan-man-12739954) — AP Source: ICE officer charged with lying to investigators in the shooting of Venezuelan man - [Leader-Telegram](https://leadertelegram.com/elections/ap-source-ice-officer-charged-with-lying-to-investigators-in-the-shooting-of-venezuelan-man/article_de477efe-e0ec-5ca6-9003-1ffa40f0b846.html) — AP Source: ICE officer charged with lying to investigators in the shooting of Venezuelan man - [Beloit Daily News](https://beloitdailynews.com/news/national-news/ap-source-ice-officer-charged-with-lying-to-investigators-in-the-shooting-of-venezuelan-man/article_90862244-5f0a-541d-a1b3-6770ec5ca161.html) — AP Source: ICE officer charged with lying to investigators in the shooting of Venezuelan man - [The Independent](https://independent.co.uk/news/venezuelan-washington-minneapolis-texas-minnesota-b3044311.html) — AP Source: ICE officer charged with lying to investigators in the shooting of Venezuelan man - [The Independent (US)](https://the-independent.com/news/venezuelan-washington-minneapolis-texas-minnesota-b3044311.html) — AP Source: ICE officer charged with lying to investigators in the shooting of Venezuelan man - [VINnews](https://vinnews.com/2026/09/03/ice-officer-charged-with-lying-to-investigators-in-the-shooting-of-venezuelan-man) — ICE Officer Charged With Lying To Investigators In The Shooting Of Venezuelan Man - [SooToday.com](https://sootoday.com/world-news/ap-source-ice-officer-charged-with-lying-to-investigators-in-the-shooting-of-venezuelan-man-12739956) — AP Source: ICE officer charged with lying to investigators in the shooting of Venezuelan man - [Prince George Citizen](https://princegeorgecitizen.com/world-news/ap-source-ice-officer-charged-with-lying-to-investigators-in-the-shooting-of-venezuelan-man-12739971) — AP Source: ICE officer charged with lying to investigators in the shooting of Venezuelan man - [meadowlakeNOW](https://meadowlakenow.com/2026/09/03/ap-source-ice-officer-charged-with-lying-to-investigators-in-the-shooting-of-venezuelan-man-2) — AP Source: ICE officer charged with lying to investigators in the shooting of Venezuelan man - [Guelph Today](https://guelphtoday.com/world-news/ap-source-ice-officer-charged-with-lying-to-investigators-in-the-shooting-of-venezuelan-man-12739956) — AP Source: ICE officer charged with lying to investigators in the shooting of Venezuelan man - [flamboroughtoday.com](https://flamboroughtoday.com/world-news/ap-source-ice-officer-charged-with-lying-to-investigators-in-the-shooting-of-venezuelan-man-12739956) — AP Source: ICE officer charged with lying to investigators in the shooting of Venezuelan man - [The Seattle Times](https://seattletimes.com/nation-world/nation/ap-source-ice-officer-charged-with-lying-to-investigators-in-the-shooting-of-venezuelan-man) — AP Source: ICE officer charged with lying to investigators in the shooting of Venezuelan man - [WBAL](https://wbal.com/ap-source-ice-officer-charged-with-lying-to-investigators-in-the-shooting-of-venezuelan-man) — AP Source: ICE officer charged with lying to investigators in the shoo - [Associated Press News](https://apnews.com/article/ice-immigration-minnesota-5a429fee81fe85c09ca59ea9366c019d) — AP Source: ICE officer charged with lying to investigators in the shooting of Venezuelan man - [WPLG](https://local10.com/news/national/2026/09/03/ap-source-ice-officer-charged-with-lying-to-investigators-in-the-shooting-of-venezuelan-man) — AP Source: ICE officer charged with lying to investigators in the shooting of Venezuelan man - [KXL](https://kxl.com/ap-source-ice-officer-charged-with-lying-to-investigators-in-the-shooting-of-venezuelan-man) — AP Source: ICE officer charged with lying to investigators in the shooting of Venezuelan man - [WSLS](https://wsls.com/news/politics/2026/09/03/ap-source-ice-officer-charged-with-lying-to-investigators-in-the-shooting-of-venezuelan-man) — AP Source: ICE officer charged with lying to investigators in the shooting of Venezuelan man - [Beckley Register-Herald](https://register-herald.com/region/justice-department-charges-ice-officer-with-lying-about-shooting-of-venezuelan-man-ap-source-says/article_d1383d25-da9f-5253-9848-ae6ad702f5cf.html) — Justice Department charges ICE officer with lying about shooting of Venezuelan man, AP source says - [The Hamilton Spectator](https://thespec.com/news/world/united-states/ap-source-ice-officer-charged-with-lying-to-investigators-in-the-shooting-of-venezuelan-man/article_8657600b-37c5-5e08-9c0f-7eea3f29d043.html) — AP Source: ICE officer charged with lying to investigators in the shooting of Venezuelan man - [Fox 9](https://fox9.com/news/feds-charges-ice-agent-lying-about-minneapolis-shooting-report) — Feds charges ICE agent with lying about Minneapolis shooting: Report - [Spectrum News](http://spectrumnews1.com/ky/louisville/news/2026/09/03/ap-source--ice-officer-charged-with-lying-to-investigators) — AP source: ICE officer charged with lying to investigators - [Spectrum Local News](https://spectrumlocalnews.com/tx/south-texas-el-paso/news/2026/09/03/ap-source--ice-officer-charged-with-lying-to-investigators) — AP source: ICE officer charged with lying to investigators - [Winnipeg Free Press](https://winnipegfreepress.com/world/2026/09/03/ap-source-ice-officer-charged-with-lying-to-investigators-in-the-shooting-of-venezuelan-man) — AP Source: ICE officer charged with lying to investigators in the shooting of Venezuelan man - [KTVH](https://ktvh.com/politics/immigration/ice-officer-charged-with-lying-in-minneapolis-shooting-investigation) — ICE officer charged with lying in Minneapolis shooting investigation - [Durango Herald](https://durangoherald.com/articles/associated-press/ap-source-ice-officer-charged-with-lying-to-investigators-in-the-shooting-of-venezuelan-man) — AP Source: ICE officer charged with lying to investigators in the shooting of Venezuelan man ## Questions **What are the federal charges against ICE officer Christian Castro?** Christian Castro faces federal charges for allegedly making false statements to investigators about the events leading up to his shooting of Julio Cesar Sosa-Celis in Minneapolis. The exact counts are not yet publicly available. **What happened to the charges against Julio Cesar Sosa-Celis?** Federal authorities initially accused Sosa-Celis and another man of assaulting an officer. However, these charges were dropped after video evidence emerged suggesting that officers, including Castro, may have lied about the encounter. **Are civil rights charges being considered against Castro?** Yes, the Department of Justice is reportedly still considering whether to bring civil rights charges against Christian Castro. There are differing accounts on whether a prosecutor's push for such charges was blocked. --- MediaBias News — https://mediabias.news. Reproduced from https://mediabias.news/conflict/ice-officer-christian-castro-charged-with-false-statements-in-minneapolis-shooti. Please cite as: MediaBias News, "ICE Officer Christian Castro Charged with False Statements in Minneapolis Shooting", https://mediabias.news/conflict/ice-officer-christian-castro-charged-with-false-statements-in-minneapolis-shooti