Chicago – January 31, 2026
The U.S. Department of Justice has opened a federal civil rights investigation into the shooting death of Alex Pretti, a 37-year-old intensive care nurse, by Border Patrol agents in Minneapolis on January 24, 2026. Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche announced the probe on Friday, emphasizing it as a routine FBI-led inquiry involving witness interviews, video review, and potential subpoenas.
The incident unfolded near 26th Street and Nicollet Avenue in the Whittier neighborhood, where Pretti was filming immigration officers with his phone during an enforcement operation. Video footage shows agents subduing him, pepper-spraying, and firing 10 shots after spotting a handgun in his waistband, though witnesses and analyses dispute claims he brandished it.
This marks a shift from initial DHS-led reviews focused on internal protocols, amid public outrage and local scrutiny. The probe runs parallel to separate CBP and HSI investigations. (158 words
