The U.S Justice Department is considering whether to charge an ICE agent accused of shooting a Venezuelan immigrant in the leg this winter in Minneapolis.
That report comes Tuesday from CNN as the agent, Christian Castro, is in Texas after being arrested in May. Minnesota state prosecutors had filed charges against him for second-degree assault and falsely reporting a crime.
But Texas Governor Greg Abbott has declined to extradite him to Minnesota, bringing a lawsuit from Minnesota Attorney General Keith Ellison and Hennepin County Attorney Mary Moriarty.
If Castro is not extradited by Thursday, there is a chance he could be released.
The person familiar with the proceedings did tell CNN that federal prosecutors could move forward as soon as Tuesday with charges.
The quick-moving timeline is putting pressure on both federal and state prosecutors as they attempt to keep Castro in custody.
Meanwhile, Abbott is urging a federal court to dismiss Minnesota's lawsuit seeking to extradite Castro, arguing the state versus state dispute belongs in the Supreme Court instead.
"Well , listen, while they're making demands, I've got a demand of my own, and that is it's time for Minnesota to step up and repay the United States of America and Americans for all the fraud that they've committed in their state under federal programs," Gov. Abbott says. "I will not respond to them at all until they step up and do what's right, and they acknowledge their fault and the fraud that took place. And they fully repay the United States of America for the fraud they committed."
While Abbott awaits a formal state decision on whether Castro qualifies as a legal fugitive, Thursday's 90-day extradition deadline leaves the agent's immediate future hanging in the balance.
The federal court's response to the challenge will determine whether the case proceeds immediately or heads to the Supreme Court, with potential federal charges now forcing the matter even further.
Minnesota Attorney General Keith Ellison is actually in Texas this week continuing to press for the extradition of Castro. According to Moriarty, Texas Rangers arrested him on May 29 and he has been held at the Cameron County Jail ever since.
During Operation Metro Surge this last winter, prosecutors say Castro shot through the front door of a home following a foot chase, knowing there were people inside. The bullet struck a victim in the leg, before getting lodged into the wall of a child's room. The person being chased was not the person that ended up shot, and was not the person they were looking for.
“Today’s arrest is a critical step forward in our prosecution of Mr. Castro,” Hennepin County Attorney Mary Moriarty said while announcing charges in may. “The BCA’s investigative work was instrumental in this process and we’re grateful for their collaboration as we pursue accountability for this incident on behalf of Mr. Sosa-Celis, his family, and our community.”
Homeland Security officials also acknowledge that he lied about being attacked with a shovel during the incident.
The agent, Christian Castro, is in Texas after being arrested in May while Minnesota presses for extradition
The agent, Christian Castro, is in Texas after being arrested in May while Minnesota presses for extradition
