Leaked DHS document debunks Trump admin's key defense of Alex Pretti shooting

U.S. President Donald Trump looks on as he visits Machine Shed restaurant in Urbandale, Iowa, U.S., January 27, 2026. REUTERS/Kevin Lamarque

Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Secretary Kristi Noem’s own agency conducted a review that jettisoned her quick interpretation of slain Minneapolis resident and U.S. citizen Alex Pretti as a man who was “brandishing” a gun.

The New York Times reported Tuesday that it obtained an internal review conducted by the U.S. Customs and Border Protection Office of Professional Responsibility, that made no mention of the DHS' earlier claims that Pretti “wanted to do maximum damage and massacre law enforcement.”

“These notifications reflect standard Customs and Border Protection protocol and are issued in accordance with existing procedures,” a C.B.P. spokesperson told the Times in a statement. “They provide an initial outline of an event that took place and do not convey any definitive conclusion or investigative findings. They are factual reports — not analytical judgments — and are provided to inform Congress and to promote transparency.”

According to review conclusions, at approximately 9 AM on Saturday, a federal officer was confronted by two women blowing whistles. The women did not move, despite the officer ordering them to move out of the road, say investigators.

“The officer then ‘pushed them both away,’ and one of the women ran to Mr. Pretti," the Times reports. “After the officer attempted to move them out of the road and they did not move, the officer deployed pepper spray at them, according to the review.”

The investigation reports Pretti resisted attempts by C.B.P. officers to take him into custody, prompting a struggle, according to the review. A Border Patrol agent multiple times yelled, “He’s got a gun!”

“About five seconds later, a Border Patrol agent fired his Glock 19, and a C.B.P. officer also fired his Glock 47 at Mr. Pretti, according to the review,” says the Times, adding that its own analysis of video footage from the scene found officers had fired 10 shots, including six after Pretti was “laying motionless on the ground” from his first shot.

But Pretti had been disarmed before he was shot.

President Donald Trump faulted Pretti on Tuesday bringing a gun to a protest, but he has since removed the commander in charge of the Minneapolis operation, after gun rights enthusiasts in his own party went on the attack.

Read the New York Times report at this link.

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