Two U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) agents have been placed on administrative leave after firing their weapons during the fatal shooting of Alex Pretti in Minneapolis, the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) confirmed. The incident took place on Saturday (January 24) while federal officers were conducting enforcement actions as part of Operation Metro Surge near Nicollet Avenue and 25th Street.
According to an initial review by DHS, one Border Patrol agent and one CBP officer discharged their service weapons— a Glock 19 and a Glock 47—after an officer shouted, “He’s got a gun!” multiple times during a struggle with Pretti. The report did not clarify whether bullets from both officers struck Pretti, and it did not state that Pretti attacked officers or brandished a firearm during the encounter, despite earlier claims from Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem. As reported by NBC News, video footage verified by multiple news organizations showed Pretti, an ICU nurse with the Department of Veterans Affairs, attempting to help a woman before being tackled and shot. An agent removed a gun from Pretti’s waistband moments before the shooting.ddddddddddddddddd
Placing agents on administrative leave is standard protocol and not a sign of disciplinary action. The leave is with full pay, and the agents are temporarily removed from field duty. The incident is under internal investigation by CBP’s Office of Professional Responsibility and Homeland Security Investigations, with support from the FBI,. The Hennepin County Medical Examiner’s Office is expected to release autopsy results.
The operation in Minnesota has drawn strong opposition from local residents, especially after a previous fatal shooting involving another federal officer earlier this month. President Donald Trump’s administration sent additional federal agents to the state as part of a broader crackdown on migrant communities and alleged local corruption.
A federal judge has ordered the Trump administration to preserve all evidence from the Pretti shooting, following reports that state investigators were initially denied access to the scene. Both DHS and CBP stress that their investigations will rely on body camera footage, official reports, and eyewitness accounts to determine the facts.
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