Frank Rondel
Customs and Border Protection commander-at-large Greg Bovino is set to return to El Centro, California, to resume his role as chief of the sector, reports customreceipt.com. Bovino, who had temporarily served as commander-at-large, is leaving Minneapolis alongside several Border Patrol agents just as Border Czar Tom Homan arrives in the city, signaling a significant reshuffle of federal immigration enforcement leadership.
Department of Homeland Security assistant secretary Tricia McLaughlin stated on Monday that Bovino “has NOT been relieved of his duties,” describing him as “a key part of the President’s team and a great American.” His return to El Centro marks the end of a temporary assignment in Minneapolis during a period of heightened scrutiny over federal law enforcement actions.
President Donald Trump announced Homan’s deployment to Minneapolis on Monday, bypassing the usual chain of command where Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem and Bovino had been supervising ICE operations. Trump noted in a social media statement that while Homan has not previously worked extensively in Minneapolis, he is familiar with local personnel, describing him as “tough but fair” and reporting directly to the President.
Noem and Chief Advisor Corey Lewandowski reportedly met with Trump for nearly two hours on Monday, according to the New York Times, at Noem’s request. Reports indicate that her position is not currently at risk. The meeting comes amid mounting tensions following the fatal shooting of Alex Pretti by federal agents in Minneapolis over the weekend.
Videos from the incident show federal agents using pepper spray and restraining Pretti before shots were fired. The Department of Homeland Security claimed Pretti approached Border Patrol agents with a 9mm semi-automatic handgun and “violently resisted” attempts to disarm him. Local authorities have challenged this account, noting that Pretti held a valid concealed carry permit. Video evidence reviewed by ABC News appears to show Pretti raising a cell phone rather than a firearm during the encounter.
This incident represents the second federal agent-involved fatal shooting in Minneapolis this month, intensifying public debate over federal immigration enforcement tactics. Noem, Bovino, and FBI Director Kash Patel have publicly defended the agents’ actions, asserting that Pretti’s conduct posed a threat and describing his armament as potentially lethal. State and local officials dispute these characterizations, citing legal gun possession and video evidence as contradictory.
Earlier we wrote that Minneapolis Federal Agent Shoots VA Nurse Alex Pretti with No Criminal Record – Videos Emerge