Calls for criminal accountability escalated after Border Patrol agent Jesus Ochoa and Customs and Border Protection officer Raymundo Gutierrez were publicly identified Sunday as the two masked federal officers who shot and killed Alex Pretti, a 37-year-old intensive care unit nurse, during an immigration enforcement operation in Minneapolis on Jan. 24. The identification of the two agents triggered immediate demands for their arrest and prosecution, alongside renewed calls for the Trump administration’s aggressive immigration operations to be brought to an end.
Following the public identification of Ochoa and Gutierrez, ProPublica reported that government records list the two men as the shooters during the deadly encounter. Both officers had been deployed from Texas to Minnesota and were assigned to Operation Metro Surge, an immigration enforcement dragnet launched in December that sent scores of armed and masked federal agents across the city. Customs and Border Protection, which employs both men, has refused to publicly release their names and has disclosed few details about the shooting.
Pretti’s killing occurred just days after another immigration agent shot and killed Renee Good, a 37-year-old mother of three, also in Minneapolis. Both shootings were captured on video by bystanders and sparked protests in Minneapolis and across the country, with demonstrators demanding justice and transparency.
Video footage from the Jan. 24 incident shows Pretti holding up his phone and documenting the movements of federal agents in a popular food and arts district. In the videos, a masked agent appears to knock a woman to the ground. Pretti moves toward her and positions himself between the woman and the agent. A masked officer then deploys pepper spray at Pretti’s face. Two agents grab him and pull him to the ground as additional federal personnel pile on. During the struggle, approximately 10 shots are fired as onlookers scream.
A notice later sent by the Department of Homeland Security to members of Congress outlined the agency’s account of the incident. According to that notice, a CBP officer “attempted to move the woman and Pretti out of the roadway. The woman and Pretti did not move.” The report continues, “CBP personnel attempted to take Pretti into custody. Pretti resisted CBP personnel’s efforts and a struggle ensued.” The notice states that one agent yelled “He’s got a gun!” multiple times before two agents discharged their Glock pistols.
State and federal officials have acknowledged that Pretti was armed with a legally owned handgun at the time of the encounter. Some analyses of bystander video appear to show a federal agent taking Pretti’s gun from his hip before the first shots were fired, though the agents’ masks and the chaos of the scene make it difficult to clearly distinguish individual actions.
In the aftermath of the shooting, federal authorities withheld the identities of the officers involved. Editors at ProPublica said in a note that the policy of shielding officers’ identities after a public shooting represented a significant departure from standard law enforcement practices. “The policy of shielding officers’ identities, particularly after a public shooting, is a stark departure from standard law enforcement protocols, according to lawmakers, state attorneys general and former federal officials,” the outlet stated. “Such secrecy, in our view, deprives the public of the most fundamental tool for accountability.”
Minnesota officials have said they were blocked from participating in the investigation. Both agents were quickly taken from the scene and then removed from the state. “We don’t have any information on the shooters,” a Minneapolis city spokesperson said. A spokesperson for Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz said his office had “not been given the names, and we don’t have any new information on the investigation.”
After days of protests and pressure from lawmakers, the Justice Department announced that its Civil Rights Division would investigate the shooting. A DOJ spokesperson did not answer questions, including whether DHS shared body camera footage or other materials with investigators. DHS confirmed the agents were placed on leave following the shooting but declined to provide additional details, referring inquiries to the FBI. The FBI also declined to comment.
Critics have rejected claims that the killing stemmed from a lack of training. Melanie D’Arrigo, executive director of the New York Health Campaign, pointed to the officers’ tenure. “The two CBP federal agents who murdered Alex Pretti have been on the job for 11 and 7 years, respectively,” she said. “It’s not a lack of training issue, it’s a culture of violence and lawlessness issue. If you’re still voting to fund this, you’re condoning it.”
Social justice activists echoed those calls. “These killers are being protected by the US government,” said Lance Cooper. “We must continue to demand their arrest and prosecution.”
Lawmakers from both parties have also called for transparency and accountability. Republican Sen. John Curtis wrote, “We must have a transparent, independent investigation into the Minnesota shooting, and those responsible, no matter their title, must be held accountable.” Democrats on the House Judiciary Committee accused the Justice Department of obstructing state investigations, writing that “DOJ has also blocked prosecutors and agents from cooperating with state law enforcement officials and prevented state officials from accessing evidence.”
Maryland Rep. Jamie Raskin criticized the practice of allowing immigration agents to conceal their identities. “They should not be anonymous. They should be identifiable. And they have to have rules of engagement that don’t allow them to terrorize and intimidate, harass and assault U.S. citizens and other people,” he said.
Former CBP commissioner Gil Kerlikowske told ProPublica that while bystander videos are chaotic and difficult to interpret, the encounter could have unfolded differently. “The other agent could have said ‘don’t interfere’ or ‘stand back,’” he said. “Rather than move immediately to pepper spray, you can arrest the person.”
As investigations continue and federal agencies maintain control over evidence and disclosures, the killing of Alex Pretti has become a defining test of accountability for immigration enforcement operations conducted under Operation Metro Surge.
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