Hennepin County Attorney Mary Moriarty charged the 52-year-old officer with four counts of second-degree assault and one count of falsely reporting a crime. The incident occurred on January 14, when Castro and another agent pursued Alfredo Alejandro Aljorna following a traffic stop. During the subsequent struggle, Castro shot Julio Cesar Sosa-Celis in the leg. Federal officials initially alleged the men attacked the agent with a broom and shovel, claims that led to attempted murder charges against the victims. However, surveillance footage and medical examinations disproved the narrative, revealing that Castro suffered no significant injuries and that the weapons were never utilized.
Accountability in the Twin Cities
Beyond the shooting itself, the investigation revealed that the errant bullet penetrated a wall where small children were sleeping. Following the encounter, federal agents arrested several innocent bystanders, including a man who was subsequently jailed in Texas for two weeks without charges. This case marks the second time Moriarty’s office has prosecuted a federal officer during the Trump administration's 70-day Operation Metro Surge. While immigrant rights advocates have lauded the move as a major step toward accountability, Moriarty noted that her office is still carefully reviewing other high-profile fatal encounters involving federal agents to ensure that state charges hold up against federal immunity claims.
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