One of the federal agents identified in the fatal shooting of Alex Pretti in Minneapolis was described by his ex-wife as a long-time gun enthusiast, according to records obtained by ProPublica.
Jesus Ochoa, a 43-year-old Border Patrol agent, was named alongside Customs and Border Protection officer Raymundo Gutierrez as the two federal officers who fatally shot Pretti on January 24 during a confrontation. The shooting occurred in Minneapolis as part of a bigger immigration enforcement effort by federal authorities under the Trump administration.
Ochoa joined the US Customs and Border Protection’s Border Patrol in 2018 after earning a criminal justice degree from the University of Texas-Pan American, his ex-wife Angelica Ochoa told ProPublica. She said the couple divorced in 2021.
By the time they separated, Angelica said, Ochoa had become deeply interested in firearms. She said that he owned about 25 rifles, pistols and shotguns, and that he was passionate about guns.
Both Ochoa and Gutierrez are from South Texas. Gutierrez (35) joined CBP in 2014 and works in the agency’s Office of Field Operations, taking part in high-risk missions similar to those conducted by police special units.
The shooting of Alex Pretti, a 37-year-old United States citizen and intensive care nurse, drew national attention and scrutiny. Pretti was killed after an encounter with federal agents during an immigration sweep in the city. Bystander videos show that Pretti was shot multiple times after he was wrestled and pinned down by multiple agents. Pretti had a licensed firearm but did not brandish his gun in any way; he was holding his phone in one hand and was trying to help a woman before federal agents took him down.
Department of Homeland Security claims that the two officers fired their weapons following basic protocol and that Pretti could be a potential threat. Body-worn camera footage has not yet been released, and the agents have been placed on administrative leave.
US President Donald Trump said the incident was unfortunate and said the FBI is investigating each and every bit of the case. However, the MAGA chief had called 37-year-old Renee Good a "domestic terrorist" earlier in January when she, too, was shot by an ICE agent in Minneapolis.
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