ICE officer charged with lying about Texas shooting

A federal grand jury indicted a U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement officer on Thursday for allegedly lying to investigators about the January shooting of a Venezuelan immigrant in Texas.

Christian Castro, the ICE officer, is accused of making false statements regarding the incident that left Julio Cesar Sosa Celis with a gunshot wound in his leg. The shooting occurred in San Antonio, where ICE agents were conducting an operation. The case adds to growing scrutiny over law enforcement accountability, particularly in incidents involving immigrants, where transparency has often been a point of contention.

The indictment comes after a months-long investigation into the circumstances surrounding the shooting. Castro’s alleged false statements obstructed the probe, according to court documents. Sosa Celis, who survived the injury, was one of thousands of Venezuelan migrants who have crossed into the U.S. in recent years, often fleeing economic and political turmoil. Advocacy groups have long criticized ICE operations, arguing they sometimes escalate unnecessarily, putting both migrants and officers at risk.

If convicted, Castro could face up to five years in prison for each count of making false statements. The case will now move to trial, where prosecutors must prove beyond a reasonable doubt that Castro intentionally misled investigators. The outcome could have broader implications for how law enforcement agencies handle internal investigations, especially in cases involving the use of force.