By Ginika Igboke
President Donald Trump said his administration is reviewing a fatal shooting involving a federal law enforcement officer in Minneapolis that occurred during an immigration enforcement operation early Saturday.
“We’re looking, we’re reviewing everything, and will come out with a determination,” Trump said in an interview with The Wall Street Journal on Sunday.
The incident involved the death of Alex Pretti, 37, who was shot by a U.S. Border Patrol agent during an enforcement action in Minneapolis. According to federal officials, agents were carrying out the arrest of an individual described as an illegal immigrant when Pretti allegedly approached officers while armed.
The Department of Homeland Security said a confrontation ensued as agents attempted to disarm Pretti. In a statement posted on X, the department said the suspect “violently resisted” officers during the struggle.
“Fearing for his life and the lives and safety of fellow officers, an agent fired defensive shots,” the department said, adding that further details about the incident will be released as the investigation continues.
Questions Raised Over Use of Force
The shooting has drawn scrutiny from members of the media, particularly following the emergence of bystander video footage. During a Jan. 25 interview on Fox News, DHS Secretary Kristi Noem was asked about video that appeared to show a federal agent removing a weapon from Pretti’s waistband or holster and walking away with it before the fatal shots were fired.
“If he was disarmed, is it the protocol to use deadly force?” Fox News host Peter Doocy asked.
Noem said all available footage would be carefully reviewed as part of the investigation and cautioned against drawing conclusions based on limited visual evidence.
“Every video will be analyzed, everything will be looked at,” she said. “I can’t speak to every single thing those officers were thinking, but this happened in seconds. They clearly feared for their lives and took action to defend themselves and the people around them.”
Federal Officials Defend Agents’ Actions
Border Patrol Commander-at-Large Gregory Bovino also addressed the incident, defending the administration’s law enforcement efforts in Minneapolis. He said Pretti was actively interfering with a targeted enforcement operation.
“What’s not being said here is the fact that Border Patrol agents and law enforcement were conducting a targeted effort against a violent illegal alien that was nearby, and that suspect injected himself into that law enforcement situation with a weapon,” Bovino said during an interview with CNN.
Bovino emphasized that the sequence of events leading up to the shooting remains under investigation.
“What happened between when that situation first came about and the shooting—that’s going to be investigated,” he said. “We’re going to get to the facts of that.”
Broader Immigration Enforcement Efforts
The Minnesota operation was part of the Trump administration’s broader nationwide crackdown on illegal immigration and criminal activity. Federal officials have increased enforcement actions in several metropolitan areas as part of that effort.
Trump indicated that the presence of federal immigration enforcement officers in Minneapolis is not intended to be permanent.
“At some point we will leave,” the president said. “They’ve done a phenomenal job.”
Federal authorities say the review of the Minneapolis shooting is ongoing, with findings expected to be released once the investigation is complete.