Minneapolis Shooting: Border Patrol Agents Identified in Alex Pretti’s Death

Two Agents Identified in Minneapolis Shooting of Alex Pretti

Minneapolis, MN – The two federal agents involved in the fatal shooting of Alex Pretti on January 24, 2026, have been identified as Border Patrol agent Jesus Ochoa, 43, and Customs and Border Protection officer Raymundo Gutierrez, 35, according to government records reviewed by ProPublica.

The shooting, which occurred during an immigration enforcement operation, sparked immediate protests and calls for a transparent investigation. Pretti, a 37-year-old intensive care unit nurse at a Department of Veterans Affairs hospital, was shot and killed at the intersection of 26th Street and Nicollet Avenue.

Both Ochoa and Gutierrez were assigned to Operation Metro Surge, an immigration enforcement initiative launched in December that deployed numerous armed and masked agents throughout Minneapolis. CBP has so far declined to publicly release the agents’ names and has provided limited information about the incident.

The Department of Justice has opened a civil rights investigation into the shooting, with Homeland Security Investigations leading the review. A DOJ spokesperson has not yet responded to questions regarding the sharing of materials, such as body-camera footage, with investigators.

According to records, Ochoa joined CBP in 2018, while Gutierrez has been with the agency since 2014 and is assigned to a special response team within CBP’s Office of Field Operations. Both agents are originally from South Texas.

The circumstances surrounding the shooting remain under scrutiny. A notice sent to some members of Congress from CBP stated that the shooting occurred after officers attempted to detain Pretti and a female protester who were obstructing the roadway. The report details a struggle ensued when officers tried to take Pretti into custody, after which two agents discharged their Glock pistols after one agent yelled “He’s got a gun!” multiple times.

Videos circulating online show Pretti holding a phone, documenting the actions of federal agents, and expressing concern about their presence in the city. Footage also depicts a masked agent knocking a woman to the ground, prompting Pretti to intervene, at which point he was pepper-sprayed and subsequently shot during a physical altercation with agents.

Pretti was legally armed with a handgun at the time of the shooting. Some analyses of bystander video suggest a federal agent may have removed Pretti’s weapon before shots were fired, though the agents’ masks and the chaotic nature of the encounter make definitive identification difficult.

The incident follows another shooting earlier in January where a different immigration agent fatally shot Renee Good, a 37-year-old mother of three, in Minneapolis. These events have fueled criticism of the Trump administration’s aggressive immigration enforcement policies and the practice of allowing agents to operate with masked identities.

Lawmakers from both parties have called for a thorough and transparent investigation. Republican Senator John Curtis of Utah stated on X (formerly Twitter) on Monday, February 1, 2026, “We must have a transparent, independent investigation into the Minnesota shooting, and those responsible—no matter their title—must be held accountable.”

Gregory Bovino, who oversaw the high-intensity immigration sweeps in Minneapolis and other cities, has been removed from his role as Border Patrol commander at large and reassigned to El Centro, California, in the wake of the shooting.

ProPublica reported that attempts to reach Ochoa and Gutierrez for comment were unsuccessful. DHS declined to answer questions about the agents, referring inquiries to the FBI, which also declined to comment. State investigators have reportedly been blocked from investigating the shooting by federal officials.

The shooting and the subsequent lack of transparency have prompted concerns about accountability and the use of force by federal agents. Lauren Bonds, executive director of the National Police Accountability Project, noted that CBP is often less transparent than local and state police departments in similar situations.