Minnesota Officials Charge ICE Agent Who Shot Venezuelan Immigrant & Falsely Reported What Happened

“That is what democracy looks like. It looks like separation of powers and getting material consequences [for] wrongdoing,” she says.

By Amy Goodman and Emilia González Avalos, Democracy Now!

State prosecutors in Minnesota have filed criminal charges against an ICE officer who allegedly shot a Venezuelan immigrant in north Minneapolis in January, then lied about what happened. Hennepin County Attorney Mary Moriarty announced Monday that federal agent Christian Castro will face four counts of second-degree assault and one count of falsely reporting a crime when he allegedly shot Julio Sosa-Celis through a door. Federal authorities have refused to cooperate with the investigation, as well as separate probes into the killings of Renee Good and Alex Pretti.

Emilia González Avalos, executive director of the Minnesota-based social justice organization Unidos MN, welcomes the charges as a victory for civil society and the rule of law. “That is what democracy looks like. It looks like separation of powers and getting material consequences [for] wrongdoing,” she says.