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A video recorded by body-worn cameras of federal agents could significantly alter the official account of the murder of Alex Pretti, a 37-year-old U.S. citizen who was killed by immigration agents in Minneapolis during the immigration crackdown initiated by the Donald Trump administration, as revealed by NBC News.
The existence of these recordings was confirmed by the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) itself, which stated that the shooting was captured from multiple angles by cameras carried by several Border Patrol agents. The videos are being analyzed as part of the ongoing investigation and could become key pieces of evidence to clarify what happened and determine potential legal responsibilities, the American media reported.
Pretti was shot dead on Saturday by an agent from the Tactical Unit of the Border Patrol, an elite body specializing in what marks the second fatal shooting involving a federal officer in Minneapolis this month.
The DHS maintains that the agent acted in self-defense, claiming that Pretti violently resisted attempts to disarm him. However, videos recorded by witnesses and shared on social media over the weekend contradict key elements of that official narrative.
The case has sparked a heated political and social debate. For many, the images released so far reinforce the perception of excessive force used by immigration agents in increasingly aggressive operations.
The governor of Minnesota, Tim Walz, came to hold federal agents "without proper training" responsible, while high-ranking officials from the Border Patrol accused local officials and protesters of "defaming" the agents and provoking what they termed an avoidable tragedy.
The Secretary of Homeland Security, Kristi Noem, stated that “each video will be analyzed and everything will be examined” as part of the investigative process. Trump himself claimed that his administration is “reviewing everything” and announced the deployment of border czar Tom Homan to Minnesota to lead ICE operations on the ground, a decision that has raised concerns among local authorities about a possible increase in tensions.
Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey warned that the city does not need more disinformation or confrontation, in a context already marked by protests and a growing distrust of federal immigration agencies. Both Frey and Walz are under federal investigation for their public statements regarding immigration law enforcement, an inquiry that they both consider to be politically motivated.
The death of Pretti occurred just 17 days after another fatal shooting involving an ICE agent in the same city. In that case, videos released later also cast doubt on the version initially provided by Trump regarding the events. Both deceased individuals were U.S. citizens, a fact that has heightened unrest and fear in communities that increasingly feel the lines between immigration control and lethal violence are becoming more blurred.
According to figures cited by NBC News, agents of the Department of Homeland Security have shot at least 12 individuals since September, coinciding with a drastic increase in deportation operations across the United States.
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