Minneapolis, Minnesota — Federal records reviewed by ProPublica have identified the two immigration agents who fired the shots that killed 37-year-old Alex Pretti during a protest in Minneapolis last weekend, an incident that has intensified scrutiny of federal immigration enforcement tactics.
According to the records, the shooters were Border Patrol agent Jesus Ochoa, 43, and Customs and Border Protection officer Raymundo Gutierrez, 35. Both were assigned to Operation Metro Surge, a large-scale immigration enforcement operation launched in December that deployed masked and armed agents across Minneapolis. Pretti, an intensive care unit nurse at a Department of Veterans Affairs hospital, was killed during a confrontation that sparked widespread protests and demands for accountability.
CBP has declined to publicly release the agents’ names and has provided limited information about the shooting. The Department of Homeland Security confirmed the agents were placed on administrative leave following the January 24 incident. After mounting pressure from lawmakers and the public, the Department of Justice announced that its Civil Rights Division is investigating the case, though officials have not said whether body-camera footage has been shared with investigators.
Both Democratic and Republican lawmakers have called for a transparent and independent investigation. Video recorded by bystanders appears to show Pretti holding a phone and attempting to assist a woman knocked to the ground before agents deployed pepper spray and gunfire erupted. While officials say Pretti was legally armed, some footage suggests his weapon may have been removed before shots were fired.
The shooting follows another fatal encounter involving federal immigration agents in Minneapolis earlier this month, further fueling debate over masked enforcement operations and use-of-force policies.
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