CBP Shooting Raises Explosive Two-Date Questions

(DailyChive.com) – Newly released video of Alex Pretti spitting on federal agents and kicking a government SUV is forcing a hard national question: do Americans still care about law, order, and the line between protest and assault?

Story Snapshot

Video from Jan. 13, 2026 shows Alex Pretti spitting at federal immigration agents, kicking a federal vehicle, and breaking its tail light in Minneapolis.
Pretti was not detained after the Jan. 13 confrontation, but he was fatally shot by CBP agents during a separate operation on Jan. 24.
DHS confirms Homeland Security Investigations is analyzing the Jan. 13 video as public scrutiny of Operation Metro Surge intensifies.
The Pretti family’s attorney argues the earlier incident cannot justify the later fatal shooting; the government has described the Jan. 24 shots as “defensive.”

What the Video Shows — and Why It Matters

Video dated Jan. 13 shows 37-year-old Alex Pretti confronting federal immigration enforcement agents near E. 36th Street and Park Avenue in Minneapolis during an enforcement operation. News reports describe Pretti spitting at agents, kicking a government SUV twice, and breaking the passenger-side tail light before agents tackled him to the ground. That sequence matters because it documents escalation and physical aggression, not just political disagreement.

Reports also describe the Jan. 13 scene as more than a random encounter. Pretti was part of a crowd of observers protesting with whistles while agents carried out immigration enforcement activity connected to Operation Metro Surge. Even if a person strongly opposes federal immigration policy, physically interfering with agents and damaging federal property is a serious threshold to cross. The footage now shapes how the public understands later claims made about threats, force, and intent.

Timeline: From Jan. 13 Confrontation to Jan. 24 Fatal Shooting

The confirmed timeline is tight. The first incident occurred Jan. 13, and Pretti was killed Jan. 24 during another immigration enforcement operation near 26th Street and Nicollet Avenue in south Minneapolis. The video became public around Jan. 28–29 and was verified through major outlets. DHS has said investigators are aware of the footage and are reviewing it, while the agents involved in the shooting were placed on leave.

A government report to Congress states that two CBP agents fired their weapons during the Jan. 24 encounter. Trump administration officials characterized the shots as “defensive,” but the publicly available reporting does not settle what prompted the gunfire in that moment. That uncertainty is exactly why the earlier video is being discussed so heavily: it provides documented prior contact between Pretti and federal agents, though it cannot by itself explain the final seconds of Jan. 24.

Key Dispute: Prior Conduct vs. Justification for Lethal Force

Pretti’s family, through attorney Steve Schleicher, argues that nothing that happened a week earlier could justify killing him on Jan. 24 and alleges he “posed no threat to anyone” when he was shot. The family also says he was injured during the Jan. 13 takedown and did not receive medical care; separate reporting has said he suffered a broken rib. Those claims add pressure for clear documentation and a transparent investigation.

At the same time, the Jan. 13 footage directly contradicts the idea that Pretti’s interactions with agents were uniformly calm or non-confrontational. Spitting on law enforcement and kicking a vehicle is not passive observation. Conservatives who value ordered liberty can acknowledge two things at once: prior misconduct does not automatically justify later lethal force, and documented misconduct is still relevant evidence when the public is asked to accept one-sided narratives without context.

Operation Metro Surge and the Political Pressure Around Immigration Enforcement

The events unfolded under Operation Metro Surge, described as a federal immigration enforcement initiative in Minneapolis. Reporting also notes this was the second fatality connected to the operation after Renee Good was fatally shot on Jan. 7 during an incident involving ICE agents as she attempted to flee an operation area. That backdrop matters because it raises the stakes for both sides: communities demand accountability, while agents operate under intense scrutiny amid politically charged encounters.

Another detail complicating the story is that Pretti was a Veterans Administration intensive care nurse and a lawful gun owner with a valid Minnesota concealed carry permit, meaning he could legally carry a handgun in public under state law. Those facts do not answer what happened on Jan. 24, but they do underline why precision matters when discussing “threats” and use-of-force claims. Until investigators release more verified specifics, the public is left weighing limited confirmed facts against competing statements.