Minnesota Federal Prosecutor Dismissed Amid ICE Officer Investigation

A federal prosecutor in Minnesota, who was probing potential civil rights offenses by an Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) officer, has been dismissed. This information comes from four sources familiar with the situation and was reported by CBS News.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Matthew Evans had been looking into ICE officer Christian Castro concerning the shooting of a Venezuelan immigrant earlier in the year. While the Justice Department has charged Castro with providing false statements related to the incident, the specifics of the indictment are still sealed.

Earlier reports from ProPublica revealed that Evans had advised attorneys representing the shooting victim, Julio Cesar Sosa-Celis, and others involved to expect charges against Castro only for false statements. Such charges typically entail lesser consequences than those for infringing upon constitutional rights under the guise of law enforcement.

“This decision is being directed by the Main Justice and the U.S. Attorney,” an email allegedly from Evans stated, according to ProPublica. “I objected strongly and fought against it, but it wasn’t sufficient.” (CBS News has not verified the email that ProPublica reviewed.)

According to three sources, Evans himself is currently under investigation by the Justice Department, with allegations of leaking information mentioned by two sources. CBS News has contacted Evans for his comments.

This story is developing and will be updated as new details emerge.