The Administration · Out the door
Former Border Patrol commander-at-large Out the door
Thirty-year Border Patrol agent who became the public face of Trump's immigration sweeps in Los Angeles, Chicago and Minneapolis before being pulled from the role after two fatal shootings.
Why they left: He was relieved of his national role in late January 2026 and sent back to his sector post in California after immigration agents killed two U.S. citizens in Minneapolis; he retired from the Border Patrol at the end of March 2026. 2 3 Now: Retired; Wikipedia reports he has since criticized administration officials online, launched a whisky brand and, in June 2026, announced an exploratory committee for a 2028 Republican presidential run. 1
Gregory Bovino joined the Border Patrol in 1996 and rose to lead its New Orleans sector and then the El Centro sector on the California-Mexico border. 1 In June 2025 he and his agents were sent to Los Angeles, where arrest operations at places such as Home Depot parking lots drew protests. 2 Deployments to Chicago, Charlotte, New Orleans and Minneapolis followed. 2 3
Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem gave him the title commander-at-large in October 2025 and made him a direct report. 1 2 Local officials and residents called the operations heavy-handed and indiscriminate. 2 After agents killed U.S. citizens Renee Good and Alex Pretti in Minneapolis in January 2026, Bovino claimed without evidence that Pretti had meant to massacre federal agents. 2
He was relieved of the role in late January and returned to El Centro; the Department of Homeland Security denied at the time that he had been ousted. 1 3 CBS News reported in mid-March that he would retire at the end of the month. 2
What happened while Gregory held the post.
Began leading Operation Metro Surge in Minneapolis after appearances in Charlotte and New Orleans. 1
Federal agents shot and killed Alex Pretti, 37, in Minneapolis; Bovino publicly defended them, and video and local officials disputed parts of the federal account. 3
Moved out of Minneapolis, with border czar Tom Homan taking over the operation. 1
CBS News reported he had told colleagues he would retire at the end of March. 2
What critics, courts or investigators have said, and the answer given. An allegation is not a finding.
U.S. District Judge Sara Ellis in Chicago restricted agents' use of tear gas and pepper balls and stated that Bovino had lied under oath about threats from protesters and reporters, according to Wikipedia's account of the ruling. 1
Their side: No public response found in the sources reviewed; an appeals court had paused an earlier order requiring him to report daily to the judge. 1
Greg Bovino, who led immigration sweeps in three cities, says he expects a subpoena once Democrats take over House committees. A new Democratic letter to Homeland Security shows how that oversight is taking shape.
File checked Nov. 13, 2026. Something wrong or out of date? Tell the desk.
