Justice Department opens federal civil-rights investigation into Minneapolis shooting death of Alex Pretti by Border Patrol agents
Federal civil-rights probe announced as FBI takes lead
The U.S. Department of Justice has opened a federal civil-rights investigation into the death of Alex Pretti, a Minneapolis resident who was shot and killed by Border Patrol agents on Saturday, Jan. 24, 2026. Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche said Friday, Jan. 30, that investigators will examine the events surrounding the shooting as well as circumstances in the period leading up to it.
The FBI is now leading the investigation. The shift places the inquiry with the federal agency that typically handles evidence collection and investigative steps in cases involving potential civil-rights violations by law enforcement officers. The Department of Homeland Security and U.S. Customs and Border Protection, the parent agency of the Border Patrol, have also indicated they have internal review processes underway.
Video evidence and disputed early characterizations
Public attention has intensified following the emergence of multiple videos from the Jan. 24 incident. The recordings show Pretti holding a cellphone immediately before officers took him to the ground. The footage also shows a handgun being removed from his waistband while he is on the ground; the videos do not show him reaching for the firearm at that moment.
Federal officials had initially described the encounter in terms that suggested Pretti posed a direct threat to officers. Those descriptions have been questioned as the videos have circulated and as additional details have emerged about the sequence of events.
Earlier confrontation now part of the factual timeline
The case has also drawn attention because of newly surfaced video from an earlier encounter on Jan. 13, 2026—11 days before the fatal shooting. That footage shows a confrontation between Pretti and federal immigration officers near federal vehicles. In the video, Pretti is seen yelling and damaging a vehicle’s taillight, followed by a physical struggle in which officers force him to the ground. When he turns away from the camera, what appears to be a handgun is visible in his waistband; the footage does not show him drawing it.
How, or whether, the Jan. 13 incident factored into federal enforcement decisions on Jan. 24 remains a key question likely to be examined by investigators.
Scope of review, and contrast with another Minneapolis shooting
Blanche said the Justice Department does not open civil-rights investigations into every law-enforcement shooting and indicated that specific circumstances in the Pretti case warranted federal review. He also said the department is not opening a similar civil-rights investigation into the Jan. 7, 2026, shooting death of Renée Good, who was killed by an Immigration and Customs Enforcement officer in Minneapolis.
Incident date: Jan. 24, 2026 (Alex Pretti)
Investigation announced: Jan. 30, 2026 (federal civil-rights probe opened)
FBI role: FBI leading the inquiry, with agency cooperation expected from DHS components
The investigation is expected to focus on the officers’ use of force, pre-incident decision-making, and whether any federal civil-rights statutes were violated.