Top Border Patrol official and other federal agents being investigated by Minneapolis prosecutors office
By Brad Brooks
March 2 (Reuters) – A Minnesota prosecutor said on Monday his office was investigating “potentially illegal conduct” by federal agents during Operation Metro Surge; It was a crackdown on undocumented immigrants that met with widespread public resistance earlier this year, when agents shot and killed two U.S. citizens, sparking nationwide outrage.
Hennepin County District Attorney Mary Moriarty, whose jurisdiction includes Minneapolis, said at a news conference that her office had created a portal that allows the public to submit videos and other evidence of incidents in which they believe crimes were committed by Gregory Bovino, who once called himself the “general commander” of the U.S. Border Patrol, and other federal agents.
“We will investigate and pursue charges where appropriate and will seek to cooperate with local law enforcement wherever and whenever needed,” Moriarty said. “Make no mistake, we are not afraid of any legal challenge.”
While Moriarty acknowledged the difficulty of successfully prosecuting federal agents who enjoy strong legal protections against indictment for their actions, he added: “There is no absolute immunity for federal agents.”
The Department of Homeland Security, which oversees the Border Patrol and ICE, did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
Moriarty said the federal government did not provide his office with any information.
Moriarty’s office had previously set up similar portals to collect evidence from the public in the shooting deaths of Renee Good and Alex Pretti, who were killed by federal agents. He said investigations into their deaths were ongoing.
The increase in sanctions against immigrants began in early December. Following the shootings of Good and Pretti, President Donald Trump’s Border czar Tom Homan took over the operation in late January from Bovino, who had come under heavy criticism from Democrats and civil liberties advocates for his handling of the crackdown in Minnesota and elsewhere in the United States.
In January, the Atlantic reported that Bovino had been removed from his mobile assignment and would return to his old job as Border Patrol sector chief in El Centro, California, citing a Homeland Security official and two people with knowledge of the change. Neither the White House nor the Department of Homeland Security responded to requests for comment regarding Bovino’s current role.
Homan held meetings with Minnesota Governor Tim Walz and Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey and set a less confrontational tone. In February, Homan announced he would send thousands of agents home, although he said immigration enforcement would continue.
(Reporting by Brad Brooks in Colorado; Editing by Donna Bryson and Matthew Lewis)
