Fact Check: Has the ICE agent who shot Alex Pretti been found 'not guilty'?

MINNEAPOLIS, MINNESOTA: Following the massive outrage against the Trump administration’s aggressive immigration campaign that has led to the death of two, a claim has been circulating on social media platforms that the Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agent who fatally shot Alex Pretti has been found not guilty. Let us fact-check the claim.

Claim: ICE Agent who shot Alex Pretti found not guilty

The alleged development originated with a post on X attributing the claim to CNN, with an image showing an ICE agent with an overlay logo of the outlet and a text saying, “NOT GUILTY: THE ICE AGENT WHO UN-ALIVED A MALE NURSE THAT BROUGHT GUNS AND AMMO TO A ‘PEACEFUL PROTEST’ HAS BEEN FOUND NOT GUILTY.”

The post came with a caption stating, “BREAKING:  The ICE Agent who claimed "self-defense" against a fully-armed male nurse in Minnesota, has been found NOT-GUILTY in a Minneapolis court this morning.”

As of this writing, the post has garnered almost four hundred thousand views and thousands of likes and shares. 

Fact Check: No trial has occurred for the agents

However, there is no evidence that the agent who shot Alex Pretti was found not guilty, as no trial has occurred for the agents involved in the fatal shooting. 

A search on CNN’s website and Google produced no results supporting the claim, despite the viral post highlighting the claim as ‘breaking news.’ 

As of late January, two agents involved in the fatal shooting of an American citizen in Minneapolis have been placed on administrative leave. It is unclear when the agents were put on leave or how long they will stay off the job. 

The person who made the post identifies in his bio as a comedian, hence it is not only not credible but might have intended as a satire. The X account has posted several such unverified claims.

Agents identified in the fatal shooting at Minneapolis

According to government records reviewed by ProPublica, the shooters involved in Pretti’s death were identified as Border Patrol agent Jesus Ochoa, 43, and Customs and Border Protection officer Raymundo Gutierrez, 35. 

Both men were working as part of Operation Metro Surge, an immigration enforcement sweep launched in December that sent scores of armed, masked agents into Minneapolis.

Pretti’s death came just days after another fatal shooting involving an immigration agent in the city that claimed the life of Renee Good, a 37-year-old mother of three.

The second victim, Alex Pretti, was a 37-year-old intensive care unit nurse who worked at a Department of Veterans Affairs hospital. His killing sparked outrage across the aisle, with lawmakers from both parties demanding answers.