A federal prosecutor in Minnesota, tasked with probing potential civil rights violations by an Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) officer, has been dismissed, according to four sources familiar with the situation.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Matthew Evans was investigating ICE officer Christian Castro for the shooting of a Venezuelan immigrant earlier this year. Recently, the Justice Department charged Castro with making false statements related to the incident; however, the charges remain under seal.
Sources have revealed that Evans communicated with attorneys representing Julio Cesar Sosa-Celis, the immigrant who was shot, advising them that Castro might face charges solely for false statements. These charges would be less severe compared to accusations of constitutional rights violations under color of law.
In an email reportedly sent by Evans to the attorneys, he expressed discontent with the direction taken by the Justice Department and the U.S. Attorney.
The email purportedly stated, “This is being directed by the Main Justice and the US Attorney. I objected in the strongest possible terms and fought it as hard as I could. It wasn’t enough.”
CBS News notes that they haven’t obtained the email reviewed by ProPublica but confirmed three sources reported Evans is under investigation by the Justice Department. Two sources specified the probe centers on allegations related to leaking information.
CBS News has solicited comments from Evans regarding these developments.
This situation is unfolding and will be updated as new details emerge.