Federal prosecutor fired after investigating ICE officer for civil rights charges in Minnesota shooting

The Trump Justice Department has fired federal prosecutor Matthew Evans, who was investigating ICE agent Christian Castro for shooting Venezuelan immigrant Julio Cesar Sosa-Celis in Minneapolis. Evans' firing came after he emailed the victim's lawyers stating that Main Justice blocked his efforts to file civil rights charges. While Castro has been indicted on six federal counts of making false statements, he faces separate state assault charges in Minnesota, which sparked an extradition battle with Texas.

Federal prosecutor firing

• ▪Assistant U.S. Attorney Matthew Evans, a federal prosecutor in Minnesota, was fired after ProPublica published emails he sent to lawyers for Julio Cesar Sosa-Celis.
• ▪Following his firing, former Assistant U.S. Attorney Matthew Evans is under federal criminal investigation for alleged leaks, obstruction of justice, or obstruction of a grand jury probe.

ICE agent shooting incident

• ▪Federal authorities initially charged Julio Cesar Sosa-Celis and Alfredo Alejandro Aljorna with assaulting an officer, but dropped the charges after video evidence showed the officers' accounts were false.
• ▪The shooting of Julio Cesar Sosa-Celis occurred during Operation Metro Surge, a massive Department of Homeland Security immigration enforcement operation that deployed thousands of officers to the Twin Cities.
• ▪U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement agent Christian Castro shot and wounded Venezuelan immigrant Julio Cesar Sosa-Celis in the leg on January 14, 2026, in Minneapolis, Minnesota.

Federal false statements charges

• ▪A federal grand jury indicted U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement agent Christian Castro on six counts of making false statements to federal investigators regarding the January 14, 2026 shooting.
• ▪U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement agent Christian Castro surrendered to federal authorities in Texas on September 3, 2026, following his federal indictment.

Civil rights charges blocked

• ▪Department of Justice officials disputed Matthew Evans' characterization, stating that the civil rights investigation into Christian Castro is ongoing and no final decision has been made.
• ▪Assistant U.S. Attorney Matthew Evans wrote in an email that Department of Justice officials in Washington and the U.S. Attorney blocked his efforts to bring civil rights charges against Christian Castro.

State extradition dispute

• ▪Hennepin County Attorney Mary Moriarty, who filed state charges of assault and false reporting against Christian Castro, stated she expects Castro will soon be extradited to Minnesota following his federal arrest.
• ▪Texas Governor Greg Abbott and a federal judge refused to extradite Christian Castro from Texas to Minnesota to face state assault and false reporting charges, leading to Castro's release from a Texas jail.

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