The killing of Alex Pretti at the hands of federal ICE agents in the streets of Minneapolis, Minnesota has set the nation ablaze with righteous indignation, anger, and outrage. For months now, there has been a public pushback against these militarized state agents covering their faces to conceal their identities as they carry out atrocities and civil rights violations against citizens, lawful immigrants, and those legally seeking asylum. There is no legitimate reason why ICE should not be subject to the same protocols as police officers.
It has taken some time to figure out who these men are, but according to Pro Publica, a couple of key figures have reportedly been identified.
Two of the men who allegedly shot and killed Pretti, Border Patrol agent Jesus Ochoa and Customs and Border Protection officer Raymundo Gutierrez, were revealed following the outlet’s review of some official records. 43 year old Ochoa and 35 year old Gutierrez are both employed by CBP and were assigned to a detail called Operation Metro Surge that sent thousands of armed agents into Minneapolis.
In anger, many people have opined that conservatives and Trump supporters have been “silent” on this issue. At the risk of making Republicans seem like reasonable people, that assertion isn’t entirely accurate. It goes without saying that there are those who blame Pretti for his own death, however, there has been significant and surprising pushback from those on the right who typically vouch for anything that police do regardless of how egregious it is.
Peep what Republican senator John Curtis of Utah said on Twitter recently:
“We must have a transparent, independent investigation into the Minnesota shooting, and those responsible—no matter their title—must be held accountable,”
The Department of Homeland Security sent a letter to a handful of Congresspersons last week acknowledging the incident but would not provide the names of the agents involved, a rare law enforcement practice. This level of secrecy doesn’t help foster public trust and this administration has done nothing to deserve the benefit of the doubt.
Last week, Democrats sent a letter to MAGA devotee and Attorney General Pam Bondi accusing DHS of covering up evidence and providing shelter for the killer agents.
“DOJ has also blocked prosecutors and agents from cooperating with state law enforcement officials and prevented state officials from accessing evidence,” the letter said.
The truth is going to come out one way or another. The people demand it.
