Border agents involved in fatal shooting of Alex Pretti placed on leave

US Customs and Border Protection (CBP) says two agents involved in the fatal shooting of an American citizen in Minneapolis have been placed on administrative leave.

The killing of Alex Pretti, a 37-year-old intensive care nurse, on Saturday provoked fresh protests in the state of Minnesota, public outcry across the US and calls from lawmakers in both parties to remove the secretary of the Department of Homeland Security (DHS).

According to a preliminary DHS report sent to Congress, two officers fired their weapons at Pretti during a scuffle. Initial official accounts had alleged Pretti brandished his gun.

It is unclear when the agents were put on leave, or how long they will stay off the job.

CBP told the BBC on Tuesday it had taken the agents off duty following standard protocol. Typically, federal law-enforcement agents involved in a shooting remain on leave while the incident is investigated.

On Sunday, CBP Commander Gregory Bovino, though, had told reporters that the agents were still on the job, but working in a different city.

New footage published by the News Movement and shared with BBC News shows an altercation between Pretti and federal officers 11 days before his death.

The Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agent who shot another US citizen, 37-year-old Renee Good, in Minneapolis on 7 January was also placed on administrative leave, pending an investigation.

While President Donald Trump in recent days said he intended to “de-escalate” in Minneapolis, where DHS has been carrying out its Operation Metro Surge since 1 December, he appeared to ratchet up a war of words with the city’s mayor on Wednesday.

On Tuesday, Frey wrote on X that his city would not change its sanctuary policies, which limit cooperation with federal immigration enforcement, and that he had told Trump’s border tsar Tom Homan that “Minneapolis does not and will not enforce federal immigration laws”.

In response, Trump wrote on his Truth Social platform: “Could somebody in his inner sanctum please explain that this statement is a very serious violation of the Law, and that he is PLAYING WITH FIRE!”