Fatal Shooting

Alex Jeffrey Pretti, 37, a U.S. citizen and ICU nurse at a VA hospital, was shot and killed January 24, 2026, in Minneapolis's Whittier neighborhood by CBP agents Jesus Ochoa (43) and Raymundo Gutierrez (35), identified by ProPublica. Pretti was filming agents with his phone and stepped between an agent and a woman pushed to the ground. He was pepper-sprayed, wrestled to the ground by ~6 agents, then shot — 10 shots in under five seconds. DHS claimed he had a handgun; multiple bystander videos verified by Reuters showed no weapon. The Hennepin County Medical Examiner ruled his death a homicide. DOJ opened a civil rights investigation. Commander Gregory Bovino's false claim that Pretti planned to "massacre" agents led to Bovino's removal.

Chicago, IL

location

Target of Operations Safeguard and Midway Blitz (1,800+ arrests). Site of Silverio Villegas Gonzalez killing and Marimar Martinez shooting. Mayor Brandon Johnson created ICE-Free Zones. Journalists shot with pepper spray bullets and tear-gassed covering protests.

Customs and Border Protection

organization

Deployed thousands of agents to interior cities far beyond traditional border enforcement. CBP agents killed Alex Pretti in Minneapolis, shot Marimar Martinez in Chicago, and shot two people in a Portland hospital parking lot. Border troops tripled to ~7,600. A 170-mile border stretch was designated a "military installation," transferring California's border jurisdiction to the Navy.

Chicago suburb where Silverio Villegas Gonzalez was shot and killed by ICE during a traffic stop on September 12, 2025, during Operation Midway Blitz.

Immigration and Customs Enforcement

organization

Primary agency executing the mass deportation campaign. Under Todd Lyons and Tom Homan, ICE conducted operations across the country. At least 30 shootings by immigration agents since January 2025, resulting in at least 8 deaths. Arrests of people with no criminal record surged 2,450%. Detention population hit an all-time high of 66,000. ICE's public affairs division was transformed into an "influencer-style media machine" producing cinematic arrest footage for social media. ICE spent $300+ million on social media monitoring, facial recognition, and location tracking.

Jonathan Ross

person

Jonathan Ross, 43, ICE Enforcement and Removal Operations deportation officer who fatally shot Renee Good on January 7, 2026. Deployed to Iraq with the Indiana National Guard (2004-2005) as a machine gunner. Joined U.S. Border Patrol in El Paso in 2007. ICE deportation officer in Minnesota since 2015. On June 17, 2025, was injured when dragged by a car during a traffic stop in Bloomington, MN.

Julio Cesar Sosa-Celis, 24, was shot in the leg by an ICE agent on January 14, 2026, in North Minneapolis. The shooting began as a case of mistaken identity — ICE agents ran plates on a car registered to a different person. After the driver fled and crashed near a duplex where Sosa-Celis was standing, an altercation ensued. His attorney presented photographs of a bullet hole in the front door, claiming Sosa-Celis had already gone inside when shot. FBI testimony indicated no witnesses corroborated the ICE agent's account.

On January 24, 2026, CBP agents Jesus Ochoa and Raymundo Gutierrez shot and killed Alex Pretti, 37, a VA ICU nurse, in Minneapolis's Whittier neighborhood. 10 shots fired in under 5 seconds. Pretti was filming agents. Multiple bystander videos verified by Reuters contradicted DHS claims. Medical examiner ruled homicide. DOJ opened civil rights investigation. Commander Bovino's false "massacre" claim led to his removal.

On January 7, 2026, ICE agent Jonathan Ross shot and killed Renee Nicole Macklin Good, 37, a U.S. citizen and mother of three, in Minneapolis during Operation Metro Surge. Ross fired three shots as her car moved forward. Bystander video went viral — 82% of registered voters saw it. Minneapolis Police Chief O'Hara called it "predictable and preventable." Her death directly sparked the Minnesota general strike.

Marimar Martinez, 30, a U.S. citizen, was shot 5 times (7 wounds) by a Border Patrol agent on October 4, 2025, in Chicago during Operation Midway Blitz. She survived and later testified before Congress, telling lawmakers: "My own government attempted to execute me."

Minneapolis, MN

location

Epicenter of the crisis. Operation Metro Surge deployed 2,000-3,000 agents. Two Americans killed (Good, Pretti), one Venezuelan shot (Sosa-Celis). Site of the first general strike in 80 years. 50,000+ marched in -20°F. Federal judge found ICE violated 96+ court orders since January 2026.

Launched December 1, 2025. Formally announced December 4. On January 6, 2026, DHS called it "the largest immigration enforcement operation ever carried out," deploying ~2,000 agents (later ~3,000 — more than Minneapolis and St. Paul police forces combined). Led by Gregory Bovino until his removal after the Pretti killing. DHS claimed 3,000+ arrests by January 19 and 4,000+ by February. Only ~5% of arrestees had violent crime records. Resulted in two American civilians killed (Good, Pretti), one Venezuelan shot (Sosa-Celis), the Minnesota general strike, and the National Shutdown.

Launched September 8, 2025, named in honor of Katie Abraham. Multi-agency surge in Illinois and Lake County, Indiana. Over 1,800 arrests reported by DHS. Hundreds of federal agents deployed with documented use of force. During this operation, Silverio Villegas Gonzalez was shot and killed by ICE, and U.S. citizen Marimar Martinez was shot 5 times by Border Patrol.

Renee Nicole Macklin Good, 37, a U.S. citizen and mother of three, was shot and killed by ICE agent Jonathan Ross on January 7, 2026, during Operation Metro Surge in Minneapolis. She was in her car when Ross fired three shots as the vehicle moved forward. Federal officials claimed self-defense, saying she "ran him over." Minneapolis Police Chief Brian O'Hara called her killing "predictable and preventable." Bystander video went viral — a Quinnipiac poll found 82% of registered voters saw the footage. Her death was the primary catalyst for the Minnesota general strike.

Silverio Villegas Gonzalez, 38, was shot and killed by ICE during a traffic stop in Franklin Park, Illinois (a suburb of Chicago) on September 12, 2025, during Operation Midway Blitz. DHS claimed he "seriously injured" an agent, but bodycam footage showed the agent describing injuries as "nothing major." The bullet traveled through the back of his neck.