An initial U.S. government review into the fatal shooting of American citizen Alex Pretti by immigration agents in Minneapolis makes no mention of him brandishing a firearm, despite early statements from officials in the Trump administration emphasising the presence of a gun.
A preliminary assessment by U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) said Pretti, 37, was shot by two federal officers—a Border Patrol agent and a customs officer—after he refused to move out of the street when ordered to do so by a customs officer.
In the hours following Saturday’s killing, senior Trump administration officials portrayed Pretti, an intensive care unit nurse, as an aggressor—claims that were quickly challenged by video footage from the scene.
The Department of Homeland Security said Pretti “approached U.S. Border Patrol officers with a 9mm semi-automatic handgun,” without noting that the weapon was holstered. White House adviser Stephen Miller, a key architect of Trump’s immigration policy, described Pretti as a “domestic terrorist” and a “would-be assassin,” without providing evidence to support those assertions.
Pretti’s death, at a hospital that serves military veterans, triggered nationwide outrage and prompted President Donald Trump to strike a more conciliatory tone this week.
The CBP review was conducted by the agency’s Office of Professional Responsibility and shared with lawmakers on Tuesday as part of standard transparency procedures, CBP spokesperson Hilton Beckham said.
Beckham stressed that the notification provides only an initial account of events and does not present definitive conclusions or investigative findings. The details outlined in the review underscored a gap between official characterisations of the incident and what appears in video evidence.
According to the review, a customs officer attempted to move Pretti and a woman out of the street, but neither complied. The officer then deployed pepper spray against both individuals.
While CBP customs officers typically work at ports of entry inspecting travellers and goods, some have been reassigned to immigration enforcement duties under the Trump administration’s crackdown. The identities of the officers involved, and whether they had training in urban crowd control, have not been disclosed.
The internal assessment said officers attempted to take Pretti into custody and that “a struggle ensued.” During the altercation, a Border Patrol agent repeatedly shouted, “He’s got a gun,” and about five seconds later, a Border Patrol agent and a customs officer fired their weapons.
Video footage shows an agent removing Pretti’s gun from his waistband before the shooting.
The review was based on body-worn camera footage and CBP records, the agency said.
An initial U.S. government review into the fatal shooting of American citizen Alex Pretti by immigration agents in Minneapolis makes no mention of him brandishing a firearm, despite early statements from officials in the Trump administration emphasising the presence of a gun.
A preliminary assessment by U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) said Pretti, 37, was shot by two federal officers—a Border Patrol agent and a customs officer—after he refused to move out of the street when ordered to do so by a customs officer.
In the hours following Saturday’s killing, senior Trump administration officials portrayed Pretti, an intensive care unit nurse, as an aggressor—claims that were quickly challenged by video footage from the scene.
The Department of Homeland Security said Pretti “approached U.S. Border Patrol officers with a 9mm semi-automatic handgun,” without noting that the weapon was holstered. White House adviser Stephen Miller, a key architect of Trump’s immigration policy, described Pretti as a “domestic terrorist” and a “would-be assassin,” without providing evidence to support those assertions.
Pretti’s death, at a hospital that serves military veterans, triggered nationwide outrage and prompted President Donald Trump to strike a more conciliatory tone this week.
The CBP review was conducted by the agency’s Office of Professional Responsibility and shared with lawmakers on Tuesday as part of standard transparency procedures, CBP spokesperson Hilton Beckham said.
Beckham stressed that the notification provides only an initial account of events and does not present definitive conclusions or investigative findings. The details outlined in the review underscored a gap between official characterisations of the incident and what appears in video evidence.
According to the review, a customs officer attempted to move Pretti and a woman out of the street, but neither complied. The officer then deployed pepper spray against both individuals.
While CBP customs officers typically work at ports of entry inspecting travellers and goods, some have been reassigned to immigration enforcement duties under the Trump administration’s crackdown. The identities of the officers involved, and whether they had training in urban crowd control, have not been disclosed.
The internal assessment said officers attempted to take Pretti into custody and that “a struggle ensued.” During the altercation, a Border Patrol agent repeatedly shouted, “He’s got a gun,” and about five seconds later, a Border Patrol agent and a customs officer fired their weapons.
Video footage shows an agent removing Pretti’s gun from his waistband before the shooting.
The review was based on body-worn camera footage and CBP records, the agency said.