Killing of ICU Nurse Alex Pretti by ICE Agents in Minneapolis
On Saturday, January 24, videos circulated extensively showing the killing of Alex Pretti, an ICU nurse at the Veterans Administration hospital, by ICE agents on a street in Minneapolis. Reports indicated Pretti approached ICE agents, who had pepper-sprayed a woman, with his phone in hand and hands raised.
ICE agents engaged him, and one video frame reportedly showed an agent with a gun drawn, pointed at Pretti’s back as he fell. Agents reportedly shot him multiple times. Pretti had been legally carrying a gun in his waistband; no evidence suggested he attempted to use it.
"One video frame reportedly showed an agent with a gun drawn, pointed at Pretti’s back as he fell. Agents reportedly shot him multiple times."
Official Responses and Contradictions
Donald Trump stated that “ICE patriots” needed to “protect themselves” and accused Minnesota Governor Tim Walz and Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey of “inciting insurrection.” Senior border patrol officer Gregory Bovino, commander-at-large, claimed Pretti intended to “massacre law enforcement” and that the agents were “victims.”
Stephen Miller, a White House authority on ICE operations, referred to Pretti as a “domestic terrorist” and an “assassin.” Secretary of Homeland Security Kristi Noem echoed these accusations. These statements were similar to those made after the killing of Renee Nicole Good on January 7 in Minneapolis, who was shot by an ICE agent while driving away from a protest.
Trump dispatched Tom Homan, referred to as his “border czar,” to investigate the Pretti incident. Homan had reportedly been in a less public role following a New York Times report on September 20, 2025, detailing an FBI recording of him allegedly receiving $50,000 in cash from agents posing as contractors, an accusation Homan denied, and which the Department of Justice did not pursue.
Eyewitness Account
A physician who witnessed the killing and interacted with agents afterwards provided a sworn affidavit. From an apartment window, the doctor stated about Pretti:
“I did not see him attack the agents or brandish a weapon of any kind. Suddenly an ICE agent shoved him to the ground … I saw at least four ICE agents point guns at the man. I then saw the agents shoot the man at least six or seven times.”
The doctor reported that ICE agents initially prevented access to Pretti and were not performing CPR, instead appearing to count bullet wounds. The physician later assessed no pulse and expressed concern for public safety.
Commander Gregory Bovino's Operations and Conduct
Gregory Bovino was subsequently removed from Minneapolis and reportedly from his role as commander-at-large. Bovino had been deployed to various cities to direct ICE operations.
Public Persona and Conflict
Governor Gavin Newsom stated Bovino appeared to be “dressed up literally as if he went on eBay and purchased SS garb” and referred to him as “Gestapo Greg.” Bovino responded by stating Newsom had “coat envy,” to which Newsom further commented, “too small for me, munchkin,” and “Oh, and I’m not a wanna-be Nazi.”
Operation Midway Blitz (Chicago)
In Chicago, during Operation Midway Blitz last September, Bovino reportedly marched through downtown, rode armed in a boat down the Chicago River, and told a reporter he ordered agents to arrest people based on “how they look.” Bovino later claimed he was hit by a rock, prompting the use of tear gas during a children’s Halloween parade in a Mexican immigrant neighborhood. He admitted in a deposition to being “confused” and “mixed up” in his testimony about violence against ICE.
On November 7, 2025, US District Court Judge Sara Ellis in Illinois stated Bovino was “evasive” and “outright lying” in his testimony, issuing an injunction limiting ICE’s use of force and ordering him to wear a body camera. During Operation Midway Blitz, the US attorney’s office brought 31 non-immigration criminal cases, resulting in zero convictions to date.
Operation Catahoula Crunch (New Orleans)
In New Orleans for Operation Catahoula Crunch last December, Bovino stated on X that “The Big Easy is the Big Hard for illegal aliens.” Text messages sent by Bovino, captured by a reporter's camera, included statements like “Kind of cool we are a massive wrecking crew. The idiots can’t do anything to us” and “I can’t understand why DHS is hiding us when we are handing them strategy on a silver platter,” sent to an individual identified as “Diz.” Texts from “Diz” to Bovino suggested Bovino conduct interviews to address arrest numbers.
Arrest Statistics and Minneapolis Deployment
Reported arrest numbers remained low through the end of 2025. According to the Cato Institute, of people detained by ICE, 5% had violent convictions, 6% had traffic tickets, and 73% had no criminal convictions. The report noted that DHS and ICE often include people with pending criminal charges as “criminal arrests,” potentially affecting due process.
Bovino then moved to Minneapolis for Operation Metro Surge, where over 3,000 ICE and border patrol agents were deployed. Bovino publicly stated that Pretti was about to “massacre law enforcement” and commended agents for “taking him down before he was able to do that.”
Further Political Reactions and White House Event
On the day of Pretti’s killing, Trump attributed it to “Democrat ensued chaos,” reiterated accusations against Walz and Frey, and posted a picture of Pretti’s handgun, claiming it was “loaded ... and ready to go.”
Attorney General Pam Bondi sent a letter to Governor Walz, accusing him of fostering “lawlessness” and demanding Minnesota’s records on Medicaid and Food and Nutrition Service Programs, repeal of sanctuary policies, and the state’s voter rolls. The demand for voter rolls reflected a right-wing conspiracy theory of voter fraud and Trump’s false claim of winning Minnesota in past elections.
White House Documentary Premiere
On the night of Pretti’s killing, a private premiere of the documentary “Melania” was held at the White House. The White House screening room, which had been removed, was replaced by a temporary pop-up theater for the event.
Amazon CEO Jeff Bezos reportedly provided $40 million to produce “Melania,” with Blue Origin (Bezos’s space company) having received a $2.3 billion contract in April and retaining a $3.4 billion Nasa lunar lander contract. Amazon also contributed $1 million for Trump’s ballroom and planned $35 million in advertising for “Melania.” The film was directed by Brett Ratner, who had faced accusations of sexual harassment and misconduct from six women in 2017, which he denied.
Guests included Apple’s CEO Tim Cook, Queen Rania of Jordan, Amazon executives Mike Hopkins and Andy Jassy, Zoom CEO Eric Yuan, New York Stock Exchange CEO Lynn Martin, and Mike Tyson. Melania Trump had previously worn a jacket with the slogan “I really don’t care, do u?” to a Texas detention center in 2018, where children separated from immigrant parents were housed.