Federal prosecutor fired after investigating ICE officer for civil rights offenses in Minnesota shooting, sources say
Updated on: September 3, 2026 / 9:37 PM EDT / CBS News
TL;DR
- Assistant U.S. Attorney Matthew Evans was fired after investigating ICE officer Christian Castro.
- Castro was investigating for possible civil rights crimes stemming from a shooting earlier this year.
- The Justice Department charged Castro with making false statements about the incident.
- Evans reportedly told attorneys for victims that Castro would only face lesser charges, citing direction from "Main Justice and the US Attorney."
- Evans stated he objected strongly to this directive.
- Three sources indicated Evans is under investigation by the Justice Department, with two citing allegations of leaking.
- A federal grand jury indicted Castro on six counts, and he was taken into custody.
- The case involves an incident where ICE officer Castro shot an immigrant, Julio Cesar Sosa-Celis.
- Initial accounts from DHS about the incident, which involved Sosa-Celis and Alfredo Alejandro Aljorna, have been contradicted by FBI affidavits and video evidence.
- The federal charges against Sosa-Celis and Aljorna were dropped due to "newly discovered evidence" inconsistent with the allegations.
- A review by ICE leadership indicated two officers made "untruthful statements."
- Castro had previously faced state charges for assault and falsely reporting a crime, but was not extradited to Minnesota from Texas.