US Customs and Border Protection (CBP) has submitted a bizarre Q&A to Congress regarding the fatal shooting of Alex Pretti, a 37-year-old US citizen, in Minneapolis. The report was submitted well after the deadline for providing an "in-custody" death notification to several committees and members from Pretti's home state.
The agency responded to questions from House and Senate committees with jurisdiction over DHS by sending a self- questionnaire, which can be read in full below. In it, CBP repeatedly declines to answer its own questions. For example, when asked if agents were wearing body cameras at the time of the shooting, the agency responds that "CBP defers to the investigating agencies."
Similarly, when asked if the immigrant being targeted had a final order of removal, the agency states that "CBP defers to DHS and investigating agencies for further detail of the operation." The report also reveals that CBP personnel attempted to take Pretti into custody after he was confronted by two female civilians who were yelling and blowing whistles. According to the report, Pretti resisted and a struggle ensued, resulting in his death.
The agency's lack of transparency has been criticized by lawmakers, with some calling it "intimidation." Sen. Chris Murphy (D-Conn.) stated that if Congress fails to restrain DHS' campaign of intimidation now, "the horror we are seeing unfold in Minneapolis will become the norm across the country."
In a statement, CBP said that death-in-custody notices reflect standard lawful procedure and provide an initial outline of the event without conveying any definitive conclusion or investigative findings. However, many have questioned the agency's response to the shooting and its lack of transparency.
The incident is the latest in a string of tragic events involving DHS agents, including the fatal shooting of Renee Good by ICE agent Jonathan Ross earlier this month. The Intercept has long covered authoritarian governments, billionaire oligarchs, and backsliding democracies around the world. We understand the challenge we face in Trump and the vital importance of press freedom in defending democracy.
As The Intercept continues to cover DHS' actions and report on their activities, we need your support to expand our reporting capacity in time to hit the ground running in 2026.
The agency responded to questions from House and Senate committees with jurisdiction over DHS by sending a self- questionnaire, which can be read in full below. In it, CBP repeatedly declines to answer its own questions. For example, when asked if agents were wearing body cameras at the time of the shooting, the agency responds that "CBP defers to the investigating agencies."
Similarly, when asked if the immigrant being targeted had a final order of removal, the agency states that "CBP defers to DHS and investigating agencies for further detail of the operation." The report also reveals that CBP personnel attempted to take Pretti into custody after he was confronted by two female civilians who were yelling and blowing whistles. According to the report, Pretti resisted and a struggle ensued, resulting in his death.
The agency's lack of transparency has been criticized by lawmakers, with some calling it "intimidation." Sen. Chris Murphy (D-Conn.) stated that if Congress fails to restrain DHS' campaign of intimidation now, "the horror we are seeing unfold in Minneapolis will become the norm across the country."
In a statement, CBP said that death-in-custody notices reflect standard lawful procedure and provide an initial outline of the event without conveying any definitive conclusion or investigative findings. However, many have questioned the agency's response to the shooting and its lack of transparency.
The incident is the latest in a string of tragic events involving DHS agents, including the fatal shooting of Renee Good by ICE agent Jonathan Ross earlier this month. The Intercept has long covered authoritarian governments, billionaire oligarchs, and backsliding democracies around the world. We understand the challenge we face in Trump and the vital importance of press freedom in defending democracy.
As The Intercept continues to cover DHS' actions and report on their activities, we need your support to expand our reporting capacity in time to hit the ground running in 2026.
. Like, can't they just be honest for once? They're dodgin' questions and playin' dumb on purpose. It's like they think we don't know what's goin' down. I mean, come on, body cameras were worn by the agents at the time of the shooting... it's not that hard to check! And what's with all this "we defer to other agencies" nonsense? That just sounds like a fancy way of sayin' they're hidin' somethin'. It's makin' me sick that they're bein' so secretive about this. We deserve better, and Congress needs to hold 'em accountable 
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. It's like they're trying to sweep this under the rug and I'm here for NO 
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. We need answers now, not some vague explanation that deflects responsibility 
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. I'd rather see them just be honest and say "we don't know" or something 
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. We can't let them sweep this under the rug 
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! They're basically saying they don't know what happened while still claiming it's all part of standard procedure... yeah right? 
that's super suspicious and kinda creepy. why are they dodging all these questions? 
isn't transparency supposed to be a thing in law enforcement? 
also, it's so sad that another person lost their life because of an ICE agent... RIP Alex 
. And now there's this other incident with ICE agent Jonathan Ross and Renee Good... it's like DHS is trying to cover their own tracks 
If they were doing everything by the book, wouldn't that be a pretty big deal to admit? 
And now the lawmakers are saying it's "intimidation"? That doesn't sit right with me either... 
