The U.S. Department of Justice has initiated a federal civil rights inquiry into the death of Alex Pretti, a Minneapolis resident who was fatally shot by Border Patrol officers. Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche announced the investigation on Friday, highlighting the need to uncover the details surrounding the incident.
“We’re looking at everything that would shed light on what happened that day and in the days and weeks leading up to what happened,” Blanche stated during a press briefing. While Blanche did not specify the reasons for launching this particular investigation, he noted that not every law enforcement shooting automatically triggers such a probe. In contrast, no similar investigation was deemed necessary for the January 7 death of Renee Good, who was shot by an Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) officer in the same city.
President Donald Trump has expressed support for the investigation, with Blanche quoting the President: “Of course, this is something we’re going to investigate.” Steve Schleicher, representing Pretti’s family, emphasized the family’s desire for a thorough and unbiased examination of the circumstances surrounding Pretti’s death.
FBI Leads the Federal Investigation
The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) announced that the FBI would now spearhead the federal investigation into the case. DHS Secretary Kristi Noem revealed this change in an interview, noting that the FBI would now take the lead, a role initially assigned to Homeland Security Investigations. Noem assured that the FBI would receive all necessary information to conclude the investigation and inform the public.
Tricia McLaughlin, a spokesperson for the DHS, confirmed the collaboration between Homeland Security Investigations and the FBI. Additionally, Customs and Border Protection is conducting its own internal review of the incident. However, the reasons for the shift in investigative leadership and whether Minnesota state investigators would be involved remain unclear.
Noem distanced herself from prior statements suggesting Pretti had threatened officers with a handgun, a claim contradicted by videos showing Pretti holding only a mobile phone when officers approached him.
Previous Incident Videos Surface
Newly released videos from January 13 depict an earlier confrontation between Pretti and federal officers. In the footage, Pretti is seen interacting aggressively with federal vehicles, culminating in a scuffle with officers. Though a handgun is visible in his waistband, the videos do not show Pretti reaching for it, nor is it evident that officers noticed the weapon.
Attorney Schleicher argued that this earlier incident did not justify the subsequent deadly shooting. Meanwhile, President Trump commented on the footage via his Truth Social platform, suggesting it undermines the portrayal of Pretti as a peaceful protester.
“Agitator and, perhaps, insurrectionist, Alex Pretti’s stock has gone way down with the just released video of him screaming and spitting in the face of a very calm and under control ICE Officer, and then crazily kicking in a new and very expensive government vehicle, so hard and violent, in fact, that the taillight broke off in pieces,” Trump posted. “It was quite a display of abuse and anger, for all to see, crazed and out of control. The ICE Officer was calm and cool, not an easy thing to be under those circumstances!”
