WASHINGTON — Border Patrol commander-at-large Gregory Bovino praised the agents who were involved in the shooting of anti-ICE protester Alex Pretti — and said they are the real victims of the fatal melee in Minneapolis.
Bovino stood by his agents and revealed that they are still on the job, albeit on administrative duty following the shooting of Pretti, 37 — which has caused a new wave of outcry from Dems and also some on the right.
Follow The Post’s coverage of the shooting of a 37-year-old anti-ICE protester in Minneapolis
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“The victims are the Border Patrol agents. I’m not blaming the Border Patrol agents,” Bovino shot back on CNN’s “State of the Union” Sunday when asked if he was “blaming the victim.”
“The suspect put himself in that situation.”
Pretti, a nurse at the Minneapolis VA hospital, had been armed with a 9mm semiautomatic handgun, which local authorities say he had a permit to carry.
BASH: It feels as though you’re blaming the victim here
BOVINO: The victims are the Border Patrol agents. I’m not blaming the Border Patrol agents. The victims are the Border Patrol agents. pic.twitter.com/rjmB7bOzrn
— Aaron Rupar (@atrupar) January 25, 2026
Footage indicated that Pretti’s gun was taken away after officers pinned him to the ground. One video showed an officer holding the weapon.
Officers were then opening fire on Pretti, shooting him multiple times.”Follow directions of law enforcement in an active crime scene,” Bovino contended at another point.
“Very evident he didn’t want to do that.”
“He [Pretti] injected himself into that crime scene. I can’t say that enough. He made the decision. We didn’t make the decision.”
