ICE agent Christian Castro was released from a Cameron County, Texas jail Thursday after Minnesota lost its extradition battle. Castro faced assault charges for shooting Venezuelan immigrant Julio C. Sosa-Celis in Minneapolis on Jan. 14 during an immigration enforcement operation. Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz requested extradition, but Texas Gov. Greg Abbott declined to act within the 90-day legal limit, forcing Castro's release. Sheriff Manuel Trevino confirmed Castro's release before 7 a.m. local time.

The case highlights rare tensions between state powers and federal authority. Federal agents seldom face state charges for on-duty conduct, and the Trump administration called Minnesota's charges illegitimate. Minnesota officials feared Castro would flee to Mexico and sued to compel Abbott's action, but a federal judge ruled Wednesday there was no evidence of bad faith.

Castro was among thousands of federal agents deployed to Minnesota last winter, resulting in violent clashes and three shootings. Prosecutors allege Castro fired through a door, striking Sosa-Celis in the leg after a car chase. Initially, federal officials backed Castro and charged Sosa-Celis and his roommate with assaulting an officer, but dismissed those charges in February after video evidence contradicted agents' accounts. Federal investigations continue with no charges announced.