Border Patrol Commander Greg Bovino and some agents expected to leave Minneapolis soon

MINNEAPOLIS, MINNESOTA: Border Patrol Commander Gregory Bovino, who has been at the center of recent controversy, is expected to depart Minneapolis on Tuesday, January 27, along with several immigration agents.

Bovino will return to El Centro, California, to resume his duties there, while others will rejoin their respective sectors, according to three sources. 

The apparent pullback from the Donald Trump administration’s immigration crackdown followed the president’s announcement that White House border czar Tom Homan would visit the city after the death of Alex Pretti.

Homan is expected to oversee Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) operations in the city going forward.

Karoline Leavitt calls Greg Bovino a 'wonderful man'

According to an official, it was a “mutual decision” to transfer Gregory Bovino. Bovino and Kristi Noem’s handling of Alex Pretti’s death left the Trump administration frustrated.

Some sources claimed that the law enforcement officer’s assertion that the late ICU nurse intended to “massacre” federal agents further inflamed an already tense situation.

Meanwhile, during Monday’s January 26 briefing, White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt did not comment on Bovino’s departure but said that Tom Homan would be the “main point of contact on the ground in Minneapolis.”

She also added, “Mr. Bovino is a wonderful man, and he’s a great professional. He is going to very much continue to lead Customs and Border Patrol throughout and across the country.” Separately, DHS spokeswoman Tricia McLaughlin wrote on X, “Chief Gregory Bovino has NOT been relieved of his duties. As @PressSec stated from the White House podium, @CMDROpAtLargeCA is a key part of the President’s team and a great American.”

Alex Pretti accused of hindering arrest of Jose Huerta-Chuma

Pretti was killed by an unidentified Border Patrol agent during an immigration enforcement operation after officials said he allegedly interfered with ICE’s work and was carrying a firearm.

It has been reported that officials were attempting to arrest Jose Huerta-Chuma at the time. Huerta-Chuma, believed to be an Ecuadorian national, allegedly had a violent rap sheet, including domestic assault involving intentional bodily harm and driving without a valid license.

Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem held a press conference on Saturday, where she defended the shooting. “Fearing for his life and for the lives of his fellow officers around him, an agent fired defensive shots. This looks like a situation where an individual arrived at the scene to inflict maximum damage on individuals and to kill law enforcement,” she said. 

Noem also claimed that Pretti “showed up to impede a law enforcement operation and assaulted our officers. They responded according to their training and took action to defend the officer’s life and those of the public around them …”