Alex Pretti Was on Federal Radar Before Fatal Border Patrol Shooting, Report Says
Alex Pretti, the Minnesota ICU nurse fatally shot by Border Patrol agents during an anti-ICE protest in Minneapolis, had previously been known to federal authorities and was injured in an earlier confrontation with immigration agents just one week before his death, according to a new report.
CNN reports that Pretti told a close friend he suffered a broken rib during a violent encounter with federal agents days before the shooting. During that earlier incident, Pretti said he witnessed Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) officers chasing what he believed was a family on foot. He reportedly stopped his car, shouted at agents, and blew a whistle in protest.
According to the source, Pretti was then tackled by as many as five agents.
Federal Monitoring of Protesters
The report states that federal immigration officers had been actively documenting information on anti-ICE demonstrators in Minneapolis in recent weeks, including Pretti. A memo distributed earlier this month to agents deployed in the city reportedly instructed them to collect extensive data.
The document allegedly asked officers to gather “all images, license plates, identifications, and general information on hotels, agitators, protesters, etc., so we can capture it all in one consolidated form,” CNN reported.
While Pretti’s name was known to federal authorities, it remains unclear whether his information had been formally entered into this data collection system or shared with agents involved in the fatal encounter.
It is also unknown whether the agents who confronted Pretti on Saturday recognized him from the earlier incident.
Video Footage Raises Questions
Video footage from the scene appears to show Pretti being wrestled to the ground by multiple agents. At least one agent can be seen removing a firearm from Pretti’s waistband before another officer fatally shoots him.
Authorities have confirmed that Pretti was a lawful gun owner, though the circumstances surrounding the shooting remain under investigation.
DHS and FBI Respond
The Department of Homeland Security has denied claims that it maintains a database of alleged domestic terrorists related to anti-ICE protests.
“We do, of course, monitor and investigate and refer all threats, assaults and obstruction of our officers to the appropriate law enforcement,” DHS Assistant Secretary Tricia McLaughlin told CNN while addressing a separate incident involving a federal agent in Maine.
Meanwhile, FBI Director Kash Patel said his agency is investigating encrypted Signal group chats allegedly used by activists to share real-time information about ICE operations. Speaking on a conservative podcast Monday, Patel warned that such communications “create a scenario that illegally entraps and puts law enforcement in harm’s way.”
Ongoing Scrutiny
Pretti’s death has sparked widespread outrage and intensified scrutiny of federal immigration enforcement tactics, particularly the monitoring of protesters and the use of force during demonstrations.
Multiple investigations into the shooting remain ongoing.