Two federal immigration agents involved in the fatal shooting of Alex Pretti during a tense encounter in Minneapolis, Minnesota, have been officially identified. The officers are Border Patrol agent Jesus Ochoa and Customs and Border Protection officer Raymundo Gutierrez.
Details of the Identified Agents
According to official records obtained by ProPublica following the incident, Jesus Ochoa joined the US Customs and Border Protection Border Patrol in 2018. Raymundo Gutierrez has been with CBP since 2014 and serves in the Office of Field Operations. Gutierrez is part of a special response team that conducts high-risk operations similar to police SWAT units. Both agents are reported to be from South Texas.
Official Silence and Ongoing Investigations
A Homeland Security Department spokesperson declined to answer questions about Ochoa and Gutierrez when approached by reporters. The FBI also did not comment when asked about the matter. Efforts to reach the two agents directly were unsuccessful according to the news outlet.
The identification comes amid ongoing investigations into the Pretti shooting, which has already drawn national scrutiny. US Justice Department officials have opened a civil rights probe into the case, which is being reviewed by the FBI and the Civil Rights Division.
Circumstances of the Fatal Encounter
Alex Pretti, a 37-year-old US citizen and intensive care nurse, was shot and killed by federal immigration officers on January 24 during immigration enforcement operations in Minneapolis ordered by the Trump administration.
Video evidence and news reports indicate that Pretti was filming federal agents with his phone and trying to help a bystander before the confrontation that led to his death. Officials initially claimed Pretti was armed and posed a threat, but bystander footage reviewed by multiple news agencies showed that he was holding only a cellphone in the moments before he was tackled by multiple men, overpowered and shot.
Broader Context of Immigration Operations
Pretti's death came after another fatal shooting earlier in January in Minneapolis, when Renee Good was shot multiple times by an ICE agent named Jonathan Ross. DHS alleged that Good was trying to run over Ross, with the incident reportedly occurring in self-defence. Good was a mother and a US citizen.
These shootings have sparked protests across multiple states and raised serious questions about aggressive federal immigration enforcement tactics during the broader operation in Minneapolis. The incidents have become politically charged with MAGA leaders, including White House aide Stephen Miller and vice president JD Vance, defending the federal agents in all cases. Meanwhile, Democratic leaders have urged ICE to leave Minneapolis to avoid more violence.
Former President Trump has justified his decision to send federal agents to states like Minnesota by claiming there is rampant criminal activity and massive fraud occurring in certain regions. The Minneapolis operations have become a flashpoint in the national debate over immigration enforcement methods and federal intervention in local jurisdictions.
