Border Patrol commander Gregory Bovino called CBP agents "the victims" after they shot and killed 37-year-old Alex Pretti in Minneapolis during an immigration enforcement patrol. Video verified by The New York Times shows Pretti filming with his phone and does not clearly show a firearm; NYT analysis found agents did not identify a weapon until about eight seconds after wrestling him to the ground. The incident — the second recent killing of a U.S. citizen involving immigration officers in the city — is under investigation, and the agents involved are expected to be placed on administrative duty.
Border Patrol Commander Calls Agents 'The Victims' After Fatal Minneapolis Shooting — Video Raises Questions
Border Patrol commander Gregory Bovino defended Customs and Border Protection (CBP) agents after they shot and killed 37-year-old Alex Pretti while patrolling Minneapolis, saying the agents were "the victims" of the incident.
In a CNN interview, host Dana Bash pressed Bovino on his repeated characterization of Pretti as a "suspect" while defending CBP training and de-escalation tactics.
"With respect, it feels as though in some ways you're blaming the victim here," Bash said.
Bovino replied that the victims were the Border Patrol agents and that he did not blame them, adding, the suspect put himself in that situation. He said Pretti had "injected" himself into a federal law-enforcement operation and suggested officers believed he was present to assault them. Bovino also claimed agents had "prevented any specific shootings of law enforcement" by intervening.
Video Footage and Conflicting Accounts
Video of the encounter, verified by several news organizations including The New York Times, shows Pretti filming the scene with his phone and does not clearly corroborate federal officials' assertion that he was holding a gun. The New York Times' analysis concluded that agents did not identify Pretti as armed until roughly eight seconds after they had wrestled him to the ground.
Although Pretti legally held a concealed-carry license, multiple-angle video appears to show him holding a phone — not a weapon — as he approaches a woman who had been shoved to the ground by agents.
Rights, Response, And The Bigger Picture
Bash pressed whether exercising constitutional rights could put a civilian at risk; Bovino responded that he respected the Second Amendment but argued those rights do not extend to people who "riot and assault, delay, obstruct and impede law enforcement officers." Bovino said he did not know for certain whether Pretti was unarmed at the moment he was shot, but maintained that agents believed a gun was present and could be heard on some audio yelling, "gun, gun, gun."
The shooting occurred as CBP agents patrolled Minneapolis as part of a high-profile immigration enforcement operation. It is the second recent death of a U.S. citizen in Minneapolis involving immigration officers this month.
Investigations Underway
Local and federal investigators are reviewing the incident. Bovino said he did not know how many agents fired their weapons; those involved, he said, "will more than likely be on administrative duty" and be relocated out of Minneapolis while the review proceeds.
The events have generated questions about the officers' use of force, the accuracy of initial claims that Pretti was armed, and the broader policy of deploying federal immigration agents in city neighborhoods. Investigations and public scrutiny are ongoing.
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