Medical examiner rules Alex Pretti killing a homicide; DOJ resists sharing evidence with Minnesota investigators
The Minneapolis medical examiner has ruled that Alex Pretti, who suffered a head injury in March, died as a homicide. Minnesota’s BCA says the FBI and DOJ have refused to share case materials or physical evidence with state investigators, prompting Senators Amy Klobuchar and Tina Smith to urge U.S. Attorney General Pam Bondi to cooperate and to criticize administration officials for labeling Pretti a “domestic terrorist,” a dispute that feeds broader calls for stricter oversight of federal agents’ use of force in Minneapolis.
📌 Key Facts
- U.S. senators publicly denounced recent deadly Minneapolis encounters involving ICE/Border Patrol agents and argued that the cluster of federal shootings shows DHS agencies need stricter oversight about when they may use lethal force in city streets.
- Senators tied the Minneapolis shootings to broader patterns in other cities and said Minneapolis could become a test case for new national standards on federal use of force.
- Sens. Amy Klobuchar and Tina Smith sent a formal letter to U.S. Attorney General Pam Bondi urging the DOJ to reverse course and fully cooperate with state and local investigators in the Alex Pretti shooting investigation.
- The senators cited Minnesota BCA reports that the DOJ and the FBI are refusing to allow state investigators to review case materials or physical evidence in the Pretti probe.
- Klobuchar and Smith criticized administration officials for publicly labeling Alex Pretti a “domestic terrorist,” saying that characterization prejudged the case and conflicts with publicly available video.
- The senators contrasted the DOJ’s current non‑cooperation in the Pretti investigation with its prior collaboration with Minnesota authorities after the Melissa Hortman assassination and the Annunciation Church shooting.
📊 Relevant Data
U.S. Border Patrol vehicle pursuit-related deaths increased from 14 in 2020 to 23 in 2021 and 21 in 2022.
CBP and Border Patrol Deadly Force Incidents Since 2020 — WOLA
The primary causes of Venezuelan migration to the United States include economic and political instability, accentuated by the COVID-19 pandemic, leading to poverty and difficulties accessing essential services.
Venezuelan Immigrants in the United States — Migration Policy Institute
Venezuelan immigrants in host countries like Colombia, Peru, and Chile commit substantially fewer crimes than the native-born population, with similar patterns observed in the U.S.
Venezuelan migration, crime, and misperceptions: A review of data from Colombia, Peru, and Chile — Brookings Institution
Since 2015, over 7 million Venezuelans, representing 23% of the population, have fled due to economic contraction of over 75%, political crises, and human rights violations.
Regional Spillovers from the Venezuelan Crisis: Migration Flows and Their Impact on Latin America and the Caribbean — Joint Data Center
In Minnesota, immigration is not responsible for an increase in crime rates, though immigrants are linked to crime through victimization and reporting patterns.
Minnesota Immigrants and their Correlation to Crime Rates — StoryMaps
📰 Source Timeline (4)
Follow how coverage of this story developed over time
- Sens. Amy Klobuchar and Tina Smith sent a formal letter to U.S. Attorney General Pam Bondi urging DOJ to reverse course and fully cooperate with state and local investigators in the Alex Pretti shooting.
- The senators explicitly cite reports from the Minnesota BCA that DOJ and the FBI are refusing to let state investigators see any case materials or physical evidence in the Pretti probe.
- Klobuchar and Smith call out administration officials for labeling Pretti a 'domestic terrorist' in ways that prejudged the case and conflict with publicly available video, and contrast DOJ’s non‑cooperation here with its prior collaboration after the Melissa Hortman assassination and Annunciation Church shooting.
- Senators are not only criticizing the two high‑profile ICE/Border Patrol shootings but are also using Minneapolis’ recent cluster of deadly federal encounters to argue that DHS agencies need stricter oversight of when they can use lethal force in city streets.
- They are tying the Minneapolis shootings to broader patterns in other cities, suggesting Minneapolis may become a test case for new national standards.