Federal Agents Put on Leave After Fatal Shooting of Minneapolis Man Alex Pretti
Two federal immigration agents involved in the fatal shooting of a U.S. citizen in Minneapolis over the weekend have been placed on administrative leave, according to multiple U.S. news outlets and official statements.
The Department of Homeland Security confirmed that the two agents who discharged their weapons during the encounter with 37-year-old ICU nurse Alex Pretti were put on leave as part of standard procedures that typically follow officer-involved shootings, Fox News and MS NOW reported Wednesday.
Pretti was shot and killed by federal agents on Saturday during a controversial immigration enforcement operation in Minneapolis that has drawn intense public scrutiny and protests nationwide. It marked the second such deadly incident involving immigration officers in the city this month.
U.S. Customs and Border Protection, which is reviewing the incident, has not yet publicly identified the agents or released details about the leave. Representatives for DHS did not immediately respond to requests for comment on the specifics of the personnel action.
The administrative leave follows a preliminary disclosure to Congress that two federal officers — one from U.S. Border Patrol and one from Customs and Border Protection (CBP) — fired their weapons during the confrontation that killed Pretti. The DHS notice confirmed the officers’ involvement but did not offer additional details about the circumstances of the shooting.
Pretti’s death has triggered widespread outrage and political backlash, including rising calls for accountability and independent reviews of immigration enforcement operations.
The shooting occurred against the backdrop of Operation Metro Surge, an expansive federal immigration enforcement campaign in Minnesota, which has already drawn protests and criticism from both local leaders and lawmakers across the country.
Federal investigators are continuing their review of the incident, and forensic and body-worn camera footage has been submitted to congressional oversight committees as part of the ongoing examination into the fatal encounter.
