Castro Released from Texas Detention

ICE Agent Released From Texas Jail After Extradition Request Denied

Castro was initially taken into custody in Harlingen, Texas, on May 29 on a Minnesota warrant. He faces four felony counts of second-degree assault with a dangerous weapon and one misdemeanor count of falsely reporting a crime. The charges stem from a Jan. 14 incident during Operation Metro Surge, where prosecutors allege Castro fired a weapon through the front door of a north Minneapolis home, wounding 24-year-old Julio Cesar Sosa-Celis in the leg.

Legal Battle and Extradition Dispute Between States

Following Castro’s arrest, Minnesota officials pressed for his extradition. With his release window approaching, Minnesota Attorney General Keith Ellison filed a lawsuit asking a federal court to intervene by either compelling Abbott to sign a rendition warrant or barring Cameron County Sheriff Manuel Treviño from releasing Castro from custody.

U.S. District Judge Fernando Rodriguez Jr., a Trump appointee in the Southern District of Texas, denied Minnesota’s request. Judge Rodriguez ruled Wednesday that the court lacked subject-matter jurisdiction because the case was not ripe for review, noting that Abbott had neither formally denied nor approved the warrant before the detention period expired.

The ruling has intensified political friction between Minnesota and pulsoslp.com.mx. Ellison sharply criticized the outcome, stating in a release that Abbott is playing with constitutional fire and is turning Texas into a sanctuary state for violent criminals. Conversely, Abbott questioned whether Castro legally qualified as a fugitive and pointed to an ongoing investigation into fraud within Minnesota government social service programs, according to telemundo.com. Lawyers for Texas also indicated the state was reviewing whether Castro qualified as a refugee because his relocation to Texas was ordered as a condition of his employment.

Flight Concerns and Underlying Shooting Scrutiny

Minnesota prosecutors expressed strong concerns that Castro might flee the country if freed, pointing to recorded jailhouse phone calls in which Castro spoke with a woman in Mexico about marrying her and purchasing a home there upon his release. While Judge Rodriguez acknowledged that Castro’s potential departure would impose a hardship on Minnesota's prosecutorial efforts, he concluded that the risk did not override the lack of a ripe legal cause of action at the time.

The underlying January shooting has faced intense scrutiny. Castro initially claimed to FBI investigators that Sosa-Celis and another man had attacked him and an accompanying ICE officer using a snow shovel and a broom handle. However, subsequent video evidence contradicted his sworn statements, prompting the U.S. Department of Justice to investigate whether the agent lied under oath. Castro has been placed on administrative leave from ICE while the legal and administrative proceedings continue. Ellison vowed that Minnesota authorities will pursue every available legal avenue to bring Castro back to face his charges.