{
  "id": 5583354,
  "title": "ICE officer lied about shovel and broom attack before Minnesota shooting, Justice Department alleges",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/09/04/ice-officer-lied-about-shovel-and-broom-attack-before-minnesota",
  "topic": "world",
  "section": "World",
  "published": "2026-09-04T15:21:35.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "Winnipeg Free Press",
    "slug": "winnipeg-free-press",
    "url": "https://www.winnipegfreepress.com/world/2026/09/04/ice-officer-lied-about-shovel-and-broom-attack-before-minnesota-shooting-justice-department-alleges"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "A U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement officer fabricated a story to investigators regarding a broom and shovel attack before he discharged a firearm, wounding a Venezuelan individual in Minnesota during a winter crackdown, alleges the Justice Department in a recently unsealed indictment. Christian Castro faces six counts of providing false statements to investigators, marking the first instance of a federal officer being prosecuted for actions taken during Operation Metro Surge, a massive deployment of agents to the Twin Cities. The operation resulted in widespread protests, arrests, and the fatal shootings of two U.S. citizens by federal officers. Castro's indictment aligns with claims by Minnesota officials who have separately charged him with assault and false reporting of a crime linked to the nonfatal shooting of Julio Cesar Sosa-Celis in January. According to the indictment, Castro claimed a man swung a broom at him and another man struck him with a snow shovel, but no evidence supports these claims. The indictment asserts Castro had a brief physical altercation with Sosa-Celis and another man, who then fled into a home with a child inside. Castro subsequently fired a shot through the front door while standing as the men approached to close it, injuring Sosa-Celis in the leg. The federal investigation into Castro's claims has sparked internal turmoil at the Justice Department, with claims of higher-ups suppressing more serious civil rights charges. The prosecutor involved, Matthew Evans, has since been reassigned, and the Justice Department is investigating potential violations of law in his handling of the case. Sosa-Celis' legal team is pushing for more severe charges against Castro, alleging that his narratives aimed to conceal the circumstances of the shooting.",
  "summary": null,
  "key_points": [
    "U.S. ICE officer fabricated story of broom, shovel attack before shooting in Minnesota.",
    "Christian Castro faces six counts of providing false statements to investigators.",
    "Operation Metro Surge led to fatal shootings of two U.S. citizens."
  ],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 2,
    "also_reported_by": [
      {
        "outlet": "CBS News",
        "title": "Indictment details alleged lies by ICE officer charged in Minneapolis shooting",
        "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/09/04/indictment-details-alleged-lies-by-ice-officer-charged-in-minneapolis",
        "published": "2026-09-04T17:41:30.000Z"
      }
    ]
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}