Two U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) Border Patrol agents involved in the fatal shooting of 37-year-old Minneapolis resident Alex Pretti have been placed on administrative leave, the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) confirmed Wednesday.
Pretti, an intensive care unit nurse and U.S. citizen, was shot and killed by federal agents on January 24 during a federal immigration enforcement operation.
The administrative leave for the two agents — a standard procedure following any federal officer-involved shooting — was announced Wednesday afternoon as DHS continues its internal review of the incident. DHS characterized the move as routine, saying it should not be interpreted as evidence of wrongdoing, but the decision comes amid mounting public pressure for transparency and accountability.
The preliminary report from a Customs and Border Protection internal investigation led by the agency’s Office of Professional Responsibility was sent Tuesday to several congressional committees, including the House Homeland Security and Judiciary committees, NBC reported.
According to the report, during the January 24 encounter, an officer repeatedly yelled “He’s got a gun!” before, “approximately five seconds later a BPA [Border Patrol agent] discharged his CBP-issued Glock 19 and a CBPO [Customs and Border Protection officer] also discharged his CBP-issued Glock 47 at Pretti.”
It remains unclear whether both agents who fired their weapons actually struck Pretti. The report does confirm, however, that “after the shooting, a BPA advised he had possession of Pretti’s firearm,” though it doesn’t clarify exactly when that weapon was recovered.
According to the report’s timeline, the incident began when agents tried to remove two women from a roadway during ongoing enforcement operations.
“The CBPO ordered the female civilians to move out of the roadway, and the female civilians did not move. The CBPO pushed them both away and one of the females ran to a male, later identified as 37-year-old Alex Jeffrey Pretti, a US citizen,” the report says.
Agents then attempted to clear both individuals from the area. “The CBPO attempted to move the woman and Pretti out of the roadway. The woman and Pretti did not move. The CBPO deployed his oleoresin capsicum (OC) spray towards both Pretti and the woman.”
The confrontation escalated from there. “CBP personnel attempted to take Pretti into custody. Pretti resisted CBP personnel’s efforts and a struggle ensued,” the report continues.
Pretti’s death is the second high-profile fatal shooting involving federal immigration agents in Minneapolis within weeks. In early January, 37-year-old Renée Good was shot and killed by an ICE officer. The incident has heightened tensions between local and federal authorities.
Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey, Minnesota Governor Tim Walz and other state officials have demanded greater clarity about the federal operation and full public release of body camera footage and other evidence. Protests erupted across Minneapolis following the shooting and have continued this week as demonstrations spread to other cities.
Federal officials maintain the investigation is ongoing.
This is a developing story…
