WASHINGTON — A preliminary review by U.S. Customs and Border Protection’s internal watchdog office found that Alex Pretti was shot by two federal officers after resisting arrest, but did not indicate that he brandished a weapon during the encounter, according to an email sent to Congress and reviewed by The New York Times.

The review makes no mention of the Department of Homeland Security’s earlier claims that Pretti, a U.S. citizen, “wanted to do maximum damage and massacre law enforcement.” Shortly after the shooting, Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem claimed that Pretti had been “brandishing” a gun.

Officials had provided no evidence to back up the claim, which was contradicted by witness videos.

The initial review by CBP, which deployed more than 1,000 officers and agents to support the enforcement operation in Minnesota, represents the first official written assessment of Saturday’s shooting since administration officials rushed to blame Pretti.

CBP Details Timeline of Events

The review was done by CBP’s Office of Professional Responsibility, which normally conducts internal misconduct investigations following shootings, and was distributed to members of Congress on Tuesday, as required by law. It presents a detailed timeline of the events based on body camera footage and agency documentation.

At about 9 a.m. Saturday, a federal officer was confronted by two female civilians blowing whistles, according to the review. Although the officer ordered them to move out of the road, they did not move.

The officer then “pushed them both away,” and one of the women ran to Pretti, the review said. After the officer attempted to move them out of the road and they did not move, the officer deployed pepper spray at them, according to the review.

Pretti then resisted attempts by CBP officers to take him into custody, prompting a struggle, the review said. A Border Patrol agent multiple times yelled, “He’s got a gun!”

About five seconds later, a Border Patrol agent fired his Glock 19, and a CBP officer also fired his Glock 47 at Pretti, according to the review.

A New York Times analysis of video footage from the scene found that officers fired 10 shots, including six after Pretti was lying motionless on the ground. Pretti had been disarmed before he was shot.

The government review said that after the shooting, a Border Patrol agent “advised he had possession of Pretti’s firearm” and “subsequently cleared and secured Pretti’s firearm in his vehicle.”

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This article originally appeared in The New York Times.

By Madeleine Ngo, Alexandra Berzon and Hamed Aleaziz/David Guttenfelder
c. 2026 The New York Times Company