FBI Director Defends Border Patrol Actions in Minneapolis Fatal Shooting Incident
During a recent appearance on Fox News' Sunday Morning Futures program, FBI Director Kash Patel offered a strong defense of border patrol tactics and Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Secretary Kristi Noem. This defense came in response to questions about the shooting death of 37-year-old Alex Pretti by a border patrol agent in Minneapolis over the weekend.
Patel Questions Victim's Motives and Defends Law Enforcement Response
In his interview, Patel questioned Pretti's intentions during the incident, stating emphatically that individuals cannot attack law enforcement officials without facing consequences. "Secretary Noem stated perfectly, you do not get to attack law enforcement officials in this country without any repercussions," Patel declared during the broadcast. He further emphasized this point by adding, "You do get to do that in Minnesota, L.A., or anywhere else."
The FBI director elaborated on his perspective regarding what constitutes peaceful protest, suggesting that Pretti's actions indicated hostile intent. "No one who wants to be peaceful shows up at a protest with a firearm that is loaded with two full magazines," Patel asserted. "That is not a peaceful protest, and you do not get to touch law enforcement. You do that anywhere, this FBI is going to be following — leading the charge to arrest those."
Fox News Anchor Challenges Patel's Narrative
Fox News anchor Maria Bartiromo pushed back against Patel's characterization of events, questioning the specific threat Pretti posed to border patrol agents. "But how was he threatening Border Patrol?!" Bartiromo asked pointedly. She continued her challenge by noting, "You've collected the evidence, you said, right? You have the handgun in your possession. And how was he using that handgun in terms of threatening Border Patrol? What was the threat? He had his camera, right? He was filming it."
Following this exchange, Patel shifted his position slightly, stating he would defer to other agencies handling the investigation. "That's something that I let the DHS and the prosecutors — because they are the ones investigating that case, I don't want to stylize that evidence," he explained. The FBI director expressed confidence in the professionals on the ground, adding, "But I trust the men and women on the ground who are trained professionals to only use it when it's absolutely necessary. And I trust Secretary Noem's leadership and DHS, and HSI to do the right thing, as they've always done in these scenarios."
Questions About Weapon Visibility and Investigation Details
Bartiromo pressed further on specific details of the incident, particularly regarding when border patrol agents became aware of Pretti's weapon. "Kristi Noem said that the individual approached U.S. Border Patrol officers with a 9-millimeter semi-automatic handgun," Bartiromo noted before asking, "Was the gun visible, or did Border Patrol see the gun after they shot him?"
Patel declined to provide additional information about the ongoing investigation, stating, "Again, all those pieces of the investigation are being led by DHS and HSI, and I don't wanna comment on their ongoing investigation." When Bartiromo acknowledged this limitation but asked what evidence the FBI could share, Patel revealed that collected evidence had been sent for forensic examination.
"It's sent to our FBI laboratory, where it'll be fingerprinted," Patel explained regarding the evidence collection process. "We'll use ballistics examination toolkits to see if any casings were fired. And we'll examine all the casings that were found on the scene."
The exchange highlights the ongoing tension between law enforcement officials defending their protocols and media scrutiny seeking specific details about use-of-force incidents. As investigations continue into the Minneapolis border patrol shooting, questions remain about the circumstances that led to Pretti's death and the appropriate standards for law enforcement response in such situations.
