The US Customs and Border Protection (CBP) agency has been ordered to provide a report on the fatal shooting of Alex Pretti, a 37-year-old Minneapolis resident who was killed in a confrontation with CBP agents last weekend. However, instead of producing a comprehensive report as mandated by Congress, CBP sent a self-answered questionnaire that revealed more questions than answers.
The agency's response to the inquiry has been met with frustration and outrage from lawmakers, who are calling for greater transparency and accountability within CBP. The incident has also sparked concerns about the use of force by federal law enforcement agencies and the need for greater oversight and regulation.
According to the report, Pretti was killed after a confrontation with two female civilians who were ordered to move out of the roadway. One of the women ran to Pretti for help, leading CBP officers to push her away and deploy oleoresin capsicum spray on both Pretti and the woman. The situation escalated, resulting in the shooting of Pretti by Border Patrol agents.
CBP's response to the incident has been criticized for its lack of transparency and detail. The agency's self-answered questionnaire reveals that it is unable or unwilling to provide clear answers to key questions about the events leading up to Pretti's death. For example, CBP refused to answer whether its agents were wearing body cameras at the time of the shooting.
The incident has also raised concerns about the use of force by federal law enforcement agencies and the need for greater oversight and regulation. Lawmakers have called for increased transparency and accountability within CBP, as well as greater support for those affected by the agency's actions.
In a statement to The Intercept, a spokesperson for CBP said that death-in-custody notices reflect standard lawful procedure and provide an initial outline of events without conveying any definitive conclusion or investigative findings. However, critics argue that this response is insufficient and fails to address the many questions surrounding Pretti's death.
As the investigation into Pretti's killing continues, lawmakers are expected to push for greater transparency and accountability within CBP. The incident has highlighted the need for greater oversight and regulation of federal law enforcement agencies, particularly in terms of their use of force and treatment of civilians.
In related news, Rep. Delia Ramirez, D-Ill., and Rep. Seth Magaziner, D-R.I., have introduced legislation to limit the use of force by Department of Homeland Security agents and require DHS to track use of force and provide a notice within 24 hours if a DHS agent kills or hospitalizes a person.
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The agency's response to the inquiry has been met with frustration and outrage from lawmakers, who are calling for greater transparency and accountability within CBP. The incident has also sparked concerns about the use of force by federal law enforcement agencies and the need for greater oversight and regulation.
According to the report, Pretti was killed after a confrontation with two female civilians who were ordered to move out of the roadway. One of the women ran to Pretti for help, leading CBP officers to push her away and deploy oleoresin capsicum spray on both Pretti and the woman. The situation escalated, resulting in the shooting of Pretti by Border Patrol agents.
CBP's response to the incident has been criticized for its lack of transparency and detail. The agency's self-answered questionnaire reveals that it is unable or unwilling to provide clear answers to key questions about the events leading up to Pretti's death. For example, CBP refused to answer whether its agents were wearing body cameras at the time of the shooting.
The incident has also raised concerns about the use of force by federal law enforcement agencies and the need for greater oversight and regulation. Lawmakers have called for increased transparency and accountability within CBP, as well as greater support for those affected by the agency's actions.
In a statement to The Intercept, a spokesperson for CBP said that death-in-custody notices reflect standard lawful procedure and provide an initial outline of events without conveying any definitive conclusion or investigative findings. However, critics argue that this response is insufficient and fails to address the many questions surrounding Pretti's death.
As the investigation into Pretti's killing continues, lawmakers are expected to push for greater transparency and accountability within CBP. The incident has highlighted the need for greater oversight and regulation of federal law enforcement agencies, particularly in terms of their use of force and treatment of civilians.
In related news, Rep. Delia Ramirez, D-Ill., and Rep. Seth Magaziner, D-R.I., have introduced legislation to limit the use of force by Department of Homeland Security agents and require DHS to track use of force and provide a notice within 24 hours if a DHS agent kills or hospitalizes a person.
The Intercept has long covered authoritarian governments, billionaire oligarchs, and backsliding democracies around the world. We understand the challenge we face in Trump and the vital importance of press freedom in defending democracy.
To continue our independent journalism, The Intercept needs your support. Will you help us expand our reporting capacity in time to hit the ground running in 2026?
come on cbp u cant just slap together a halfarsed questionnaire and expect everyone 2 b fine w/ it 
the fact that they refused 2 answer if their agents had body cams on at the time of the shooting is straight up suspicious 
lawmakers r right 2 be calling out this lack of transparency & accountability 
it's not like its too much 2 ask for some basic details about what went down 
and btw, why can't cbp just give a real report w/ actual facts instead of trying 2 cover their tracks 
this is so messed up! i mean, how can they just send a questionnaire that's like, super vague and not provide any real answers? it's like they're trying to cover their tracks or something 
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. i mean, can you blame the public for being frustrated and outraged? this whole thing feels super fishy to me 
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. fingers crossed that the investigation turns up some real answers soon 
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. And let's be real, Rep. Ramirez and Rep. Magaziner are just tryin' to stir up drama and push their own agendas 
. It's like they're forgettin' that sometimes you gotta let the facts speak for themselves instead of jumpin' to conclusions 
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is super shady. They're basically stonewalling Congress and refusing to give out clear answers about what really went down. It's like they're trying to sweep this under the rug. And can we talk about how messed up it is that two women were pushed away for trying to help Alex Pretti? 
The fact that CBP won't answer whether their agents were wearing body cameras at the time of the shooting is just ridiculous. It's like they're hiding something. This incident highlights the need for real reform and more accountability within federal law enforcement agencies. We deserve better than this kind of secrecy and lack of transparency 
... but it's all just a reminder that our government can be pretty opaque sometimes. Can't we just have some transparency and accountability for once? 
. We need more voices speakin out against this kind of police brutality and demandin justice for victims like Alex.
. They're doin the real reporting on these authoritarian governments and oligarchs around the world, exposin the truth when nobody else will. Keep it up, guys 
!
. Like, what's the point of having Congress ask for answers if the agency just gonna give vague responses? 
. It's like, if they're not willing to admit to being transparent, how can we trust them with our safety and security? 
. We need better oversight and regulation of federal law enforcement agencies, especially when it comes to use of force and treatment of civilians 
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. We need more pressure on CBP to be transparent and accountable 
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CBP's response is a total cop-out 
and i'm not buying that death-in-custody notice is just some boring form 
the fact that lawmakers are getting frustrated is justified, imo 
this whole thing feels like a big ol' mess 
i mean it's literally soooo good like what even is the secret ingredient lol but anyway back to this CBP thing u think they're just trying to cover their asses or watever