Two CBP Agents Identified in Fatal Shooting of Minneapolis Protester Alex Pretti

Government records reviewed by ProPublica name two federal immigration agents involved in the deadly encounter, as lawmakers and state officials demand transparency and independent investigations.

By: Haitian prime News |February 1, 2026|Minneapolis, Minnesota

Government records reviewed by ProPublica identify the two federal immigration agents who fired their weapons during a fatal encounter in Minneapolis last week as Border Patrol agent Jesus Ochoa and Customs and Border Protection officer Raymundo Gutierrez.

The records list Ochoa, 43, and Gutierrez, 35, as the shooters in the incident that left Alex Pretti, a 37-year-old intensive care unit nurse employed at a Department of Veterans Affairs hospital, dead. The killing has sparked widespread protests and renewed calls for criminal and civil rights investigations.

Both agents were assigned to Operation Metro Surge, an immigration enforcement initiative launched in December that deployed armed, masked agents across Minneapolis. The operation is overseen by U.S. Customs and Border Protection, which has declined to publicly confirm the agents’ identities or release detailed information about the shooting.

The incident occurred just days after another Minneapolis protester, Renee Good, a 37-year-old mother of three, was fatally shot by an immigration agent in a separate encounter. Together, the cases have intensified scrutiny of federal immigration enforcement tactics amid the aggressive immigration crackdown ordered by President Donald Trump.

Lawmakers from both parties have called for transparency. Republican Sen. John Curtis urged a transparent and independent investigation, stating that those responsible must be held accountable regardless of rank or agency. The Department of Homeland Security, which oversees CBP, confirmed to some members of Congress that two agents fired Glock pistols during the Jan. 24 shooting but did not include their names. DHS said the agents were placed on administrative leave.

After days of protests and mounting political pressure, the U.S. Department of Justice announced that its Civil Rights Division is investigating the shooting. A DOJ spokesperson declined to answer whether body-camera footage has been shared with investigators. The Federal Bureau of Investigation also declined to comment.

Ochoa joined CBP in 2018 as a Border Patrol agent. Gutierrez, hired in 2014, works for CBP’s Office of Field Operations and is assigned to a special response team that conducts high-risk operations similar to police SWAT units. Records indicate both agents are from South Texas.

State and local officials say they have not been provided key information. A Minneapolis city spokesperson said authorities have not been given the names of the agents involved, while the office of Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz said the state has received no new details from federal investigators.

Democrats on the House Judiciary Committee accused the Justice Department of obstructing state-level investigations. Rep. Jamie Raskin, the committee’s top Democrat, said immigration agents involved in shootings should not be anonymous and must be clearly identifiable.

A notice sent to Congress states that the shooting occurred after agents attempted to clear Pretti and a female protester from a roadway. The report claims Pretti resisted arrest, a struggle followed, and an agent shouted, “He’s got a gun!” before two agents discharged their weapons.

Videos circulating online show Pretti holding a phone and recording federal agents in a popular food and arts district. In the footage, a masked agent appears to knock a woman to the ground. Pretti intervenes, is pepper-sprayed, and then tackled by multiple agents. Approximately 10 shots are fired during the struggle.

Authorities confirmed Pretti was carrying a legally owned handgun. Some analyses of bystander video appear to show an agent removing the weapon from Pretti’s hip before the first shots were fired, though the agents’ masks and the chaotic scene make it difficult to determine precise actions.

Federal officials, including DHS Secretary Kristi Noem, initially characterized Pretti as an aggressor. White House adviser Stephen Miller later acknowledged that CBP officers may not have followed established protocols.

Former CBP commissioner Gil Kerlikowske said the encounter could likely have been de-escalated, criticizing the rapid use of pepper spray as a factor that escalated the situation.

Pretti’s death has prompted demonstrations in Minneapolis and other cities, with protesters demanding the release of body-camera footage and an end to masked federal enforcement operations. Minnesota officials have said the state will pursue its own criminal investigation.

Sources

ProPublica investigative reporting Department of Homeland Security statements U.S. Department of Justice announcements Publicly available video footage Congressional and government records

Propublica.org