Gregory Bovino says the Border Patrol agents were the victims
Gregory BovinoU.S. Border Patrol commander-at-large
Border Patrol commander Gregory Bovino identified the agents as the victims and said Pretti put himself in the situation.
“The victims are the Border Patrol agents. The suspect put himself in that situation.”
Interview
Where this statement fits
Were Border Patrol Agent Jesus Ochoa and CBP Officer Raymundo Gutierrez justified in fatally shooting Alex Pretti?
On January 24, 2026, during Operation Metro Surge, a federal immigration enforcement operation in Minneapolis, Border Patrol agent Jesus Ochoa and CBP officer Raymundo Gutierrez fired approximately ten shots that killed Alex Pretti, a 37-year-old ICU nurse at the Minneapolis VA Health Care System. Pretti, who was lawfully carrying a handgun, had been filming federal agents and moved to help a woman whom an agent had pushed to the ground. Agents pepper-sprayed and pinned Pretti to the ground; bystander video reviewed by multiple news organizations shows an agent removing a handgun from Pretti's waistband roughly a second before the first shots were fired. DHS Secretary Kristi Noem said Pretti approached officers with a 9mm handgun, that officers attempting to disarm him met violent resistance, and that agents fired defensive shots fearing for their lives. The Hennepin County Medical Examiner's Office ruled Pretti's death a homicide on February 2, 2026. ProPublica identified the two agents on February 1, 2026; both were placed on administrative leave, and the Department of Justice opened a federal civil rights investigation. Discussing the shooting and the earlier fatal shooting of Renee Good in an NBC News interview, President Trump said "he was not an angel and she was not an angel," but when asked whether that justified what happened to them, he answered "No. I don't" and said "it should've not happened." The shooting sparked large protests in Minneapolis and other U.S. cities and preceded the administration's announced drawdown of Operation Metro Surge. As of September 2026, the federal civil rights investigation remains active with no public charging decision against either agent.
Source and context
Interview
About this source
The video and transcript excerpt capture Bovino's direct response when challenged over whether he was blaming Alex Pretti.
Archived copy (opens in a new tab)Before the quotation
CNN's Dana Bash told Bovino that his account sounded as though he was blaming Pretti.
After the quotation
Bovino said Pretti brought a loaded weapon into a volatile law-enforcement confrontation and urged people not to interfere with officers.
How this statement is classified
The label describes this statement's response within the context above.
Why this label?
Bovino assigns responsibility to Pretti and characterizes the agents as victims. From the case's point of view, that excuses and defends the officers' use of deadly force.
- Recorded on
- Published here
- People and groups discussed
- Jesus Ochoa, Raymundo Gutierrez
More from this case
Read the full caseAmy Klobuchar says Alex Pretti should still be alive
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Trump on Pretti and Good: 'It should've not happened'
“No. I don't. I -- it should've not happened. It was a very sad -- to me it was a very sad incident, two incidents.”Read statement
Walz calls for federal agents to leave and for accountability
“I'm not so interested in shift in tone. We just need them out of here, and we need accountability for what's happened.”Read statement
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The Dispute Index. "Gregory Bovino says the Border Patrol agents were the victims". First published: 2026-09-24. Last updated: 2026-09-24. https://disputeindex.com/events/2206-border-patrol-commander-gregory-bovino-identified-the-agents