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FBI Takes Over Probe
The FBI has taken over the probe into the fatal Jan. 24 shooting of Minneapolis ICU nurse Alex Pretti by Border Patrol officers.
“The FBI is now leading the investigation into the fatal shooting of Minneapolis resident Alex Pretti by Border Patrol officers, the Department of Homeland Security said Friday. DHS Secretary Kristi Noem disclosed the change during a Fox News interview; DHS had earlier said its Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) unit would head the probe. HSI will now support the FBI, while Customs and Border Protection is conducting a separate internal review of the incident in which two officers opened fire. DHS did not say when or why the leadership change was made.”
The Department of Homeland Security disclosed the change on Friday.
DHS Secretary Kristi Noem announced the shift during a Fox News interview.
She said Homeland Security Investigations, which DHS had earlier said would lead, will now support the FBI.
Customs and Border Protection is conducting a separate internal review.
DHS did not say when or why the leadership change was made.
Two agents involved in the shooting have been placed on administrative leave.
Officials provided only a limited explanation for the transfer of investigative responsibility.
Investigations and Oversight Changes
Officials say HSI will support the FBI while CBP conducts its own internal review.
Two Border Patrol agents have been placed on administrative leave pending the inquiries.
Multiple outlets report DHS initially directed HSI to lead the probe before the FBI took charge.
The department has not publicly explained the timing or rationale for the change.
The FBI’s takeover has been framed by some local outlets as routine oversight and by congressional voices as a response to public concern and calls for an independent review.
This outlines who is doing what and the ambiguity over motive and timing.
Jan. 13 footage questions
The FBI takeover comes amid renewed scrutiny after newly released Jan. 13 footage shows Alex Pretti in a separate confrontation with federal immigration agents — shouting, spitting, kicking out a taillight and being tackled to the ground — roughly 11 days before he was killed.
“The footage also shows what appears to be a handgun in Pretti’s waistband after his coat came off, but does not show him reaching for it or make clear whether officers saw it.”
Multiple outlets report the clip briefly shows what appears to be a handgun in Pretti's waistband after his coat came off, though the videos do not show him reaching for it or confirm whether officers saw the weapon.
The footage has been confirmed by Pretti's family and widely circulated online, intensifying debate over whether the earlier, nonlethal encounter is relevant to the later use of deadly force.
The summary focuses on what the Jan. 13 footage shows and the immediate evidentiary questions.
Reactions and political fallout
The release of the Jan. 13 videos and the FBI's assumption of the investigation sharpened political and public responses.
President Trump reposted one of the clips and called Pretti an "agitator," a move many outlets said intensified partisan debate.
Others called for transparency and independent review, with senators and local officials demanding that federal agents be withdrawn or held accountable.
Pretti's family and lawyers denounced official portrayals that framed him as a violent threat and said an earlier scuffle does not justify the later killing.
Legal and evidentiary questions
Legal experts, family lawyers and some reporters stress that the Jan. 13 encounter — while showing Pretti in a confrontation and revealing a weapon in his waistband — does not itself resolve whether the Jan. 24 shooting was lawful.
“Legal experts and Pretti’s lawyers say the earlier, nonlethal January 13 altercation would not legally justify the use‑of‑deadly force on January 24. Law professors Emmanuel Mauleón and Bennett Gershman told Newsweek that Fourth Amendment use‑of‑force analysis depends on whether officers reasonably perceived an imminent threat at the moment of the shooting, and there’s no evidence the shooters knew about the Jan. 13 incident.”
Law professors cited in coverage say use-of-force law depends on what officers reasonably perceived at the moment of the shooting, and there's no public evidence the shooters knew of the earlier altercation.
DHS has stated it is reviewing footage and the FBI-led investigation aims to establish facts about both encounters; however, outlets note unresolved questions including whether the same agents were involved in both incidents and why DHS shifted investigative leadership.
This paragraph outlines legal and evidentiary uncertainties.