ICE Agent Charged in Minnesota Shooting Released From Texas Jail
- Immigration and Customs Enforcement officer Christian Castro was released from a Texas detention center on Thursday, August 27, 2026, after a federal judge declined to block his release...
- Castro left the Carrizalez-Rucker Cameron County Detention Center in Brownsville at the break of dawn, motioning toward camera operators before getting into an SUV.
- denied a request from Minnesota officials for a temporary restraining order to prevent Castro's release.
Immigration and Customs Enforcement officer Christian Castro was released from a Texas detention center on Thursday, August 27, 2026, after a federal judge declined to block his release or order his extradition to Minnesota.
Castro left the Carrizalez-Rucker Cameron County Detention Center in Brownsville at the break of dawn, motioning toward camera operators before getting into an SUV. He had been held in the Cameron County jail since his May 29 arrest on Minnesota charges including second-degree assault and falsely reporting a crime.
Federal Judge Denies Minnesota Restraining Order
U.S. District Judge Fernando Rodriguez Jr. denied a request from Minnesota officials for a temporary restraining order to prevent Castro’s release. The state argued that Texas Governor Greg Abbott violated the Extradition Act by failing to sign a rendition warrant.
In a 13-page decision, Rodriguez concluded that the court lacked subject matter jurisdiction because the dispute was not ripe for adjudication. The judge noted that Abbott had neither agreed nor refused to sign the warrant, but had instead asked the Texas Secretary of State to investigate Minnesota’s demand and report on Castro’s circumstances.
“The Court concludes that it lacks subject matter jurisdiction because the case is not ripe for adjudication,” Rodriguez wrote, adding that Minnesota could not base its claims on speculation that Abbott might violate authorities in the future.
Underlying Charges in Minneapolis Shooting
The case stems from a January 14 shooting during an immigration crackdown in Minneapolis known as Operation Metro Surge. Prosecutors allege that Castro fired a gun through the front door of a home, shooting 24-year-old Venezuelan migrant Julio César Sosa-Celis in the leg.
According to investigators, Castro falsely claimed that Sosa-Celis and another man attacked an ICE officer with a broom handle and snow shovel, a statement contradicted by footage from a nearby camera. Minnesota authorities subsequently issued a nationwide arrest warrant in May, leading to Castro’s apprehension in Texas.
Under Texas law, detainees held on out-of-state warrants must be released after 90 days if extradition has not been executed, forcing the Cameron County sheriff to free Castro on Thursday, August 27, 2026.
Official Reactions and Flight Concerns
Minnesota officials voiced concern that Castro might flee to Mexico, citing jailhouse phone calls detailed in the state’s lawsuit where he discussed marrying a woman in Mexico and purchasing a home there. While Rodriguez acknowledged the potential flight risk, he stated that the threat of injury alone did not make the case ready for judicial intervention.
Minnesota Attorney General Keith Ellison stated that his office would continue litigating the case and asserted that Castro would not escape justice. Hennepin County Attorney Mary Moriarty also questioned the timeline of the governor’s decision and Castro’s current whereabouts.
Andrew Mahaleris, press secretary for Governor Abbott, welcomed the federal ruling and defended the governor’s duty to evaluate extradition requests carefully, noting that law enforcement would monitor Castro’s status. Separately, a senior Homeland Security official stated on Thursday evening that Castro has been suspended without pay, adding that lying under oath is a federal offense subject to ongoing investigation by the U.S. Attorney’s Office.