The federal agents involved in the deadly shooting of 37-year-old Alex Pretti have been reassigned, announced Border Patrol Chief Gregory Bovino.
Bovino addressed the media in Minneapolis on Sunday, just a day after Pretti was shot and killed by a Border Patrol agent during an immigration operation in the city. He confirmed that the agents present at the scene have been moved to “other locations.”
“All agents that were involved in that scene are working not in Minneapolis, but in other locations. That’s for their safety,” he told reporters.
https://x.com/kaitlancollins/status/2015516113543569577
Bovino explained that the relocation aims to prevent the “doxxing” of the agents, emphasizing the need to prioritize their safety amid rising tensions nationwide following the incident.
The number of agents reassigned remains unclear; however, bystander footage indicates that at least five were involved in trying to subdue Pretti before the shooting occurred.
Bovino also mentioned earlier on Sunday that the involved agents would “likely” be assigned to administrative duties moving forward, rather than participating in immigration raids across the country.
This reassignment comes as video evidence presents a different narrative regarding the shooting. While the Department of Homeland Security claims that Pretti approached the agents with a handgun and “violently resisted” disarmament, footage shows him only holding a cell phone and intervening briefly when an agent pushes a female protester.
Bovino Defends Agents’ Actions Amid Controversy
In the video, an agent uses pepper spray on Pretti, who raises his left hand and does not resist. A chaotic struggle ensues as multiple agents try to subdue him. At one point, they discover he is armed, with one agent removing a firearm from Pretti’s waistband. Subsequently, two agents draw their guns, and at least ten shots are fired.
Despite the conflicting accounts, Bovino defended the agents’ response, asserting they did a “good job” in managing the situation, as Pretti “decided to inject himself” into the conflict.
