Identities of US federal officers who killed Alex Pretti REVEALED, even as DHS refuses to confirm identities to avoid 'doxing'

Alex Pretti's killers have been identified. The two federal agents who opened fire during the killing of intensive care nurse Pretti in Minneapolis have now been publicly identified. According to government records obtained by ProPublica, the agents are Border Patrol officer Jesus Ochoa, 43, and Customs and Border Protection officer Raymundo Gutierrez, 35. Both are based in South Texas and were deployed to Minneapolis as part of “Operation Metro Surge,” a federal immigration crackdown launched by the Donald Trump administration in December. Here's all we know about the two federal officers.

Who are Raymundo Gutierrez and Jesus Ochoa?

Jesus Ochoa, as per AFP, joined Customs and Border Protection in 2018, while Gutierrez has been with the agency since 2014. Gutierrez works under CBP’s Office of Field Operations and is part of a special response team that functions like a SWAT unit.

Ochoa’s ex-wife, Angelica Ochoa, told ProPublica that he had long aspired to work for the Border Patrol and earned a criminal justice degree from the University of Texas–Pan American. She also said that by the time they separated in 2021, Ochoa had become deeply interested in firearms and owned around 25 guns, including rifles and pistols. Public records show he is a registered Republican voter.

Department of Homeland Security refuses to identify officers who killed Pretti

The Department of Homeland Security, which oversees CBP, has yet to confirm the agents’ identities. In a statement to the Daily Beast, a DHS spokesperson said the department would “never confirm or deny attempts to dox our law enforcement officers,” adding that “this matter remains under investigation.”

Given the anger over the killing, the department added that “Publicising their identities puts their lives and the lives of their families at serious risk,” the spokesperson said.

ProPublica, however, defended its decision to release their identities, arguing that “there are few investigations that deserve more sunlight and public scrutiny than this one.”

What happened to Alex Pretti?

37-year-old Alex Pretti, an intensive care nurse, was killed on January 24 during a confrontation with federal agents in Minneapolis. His death came just days after another fatal shooting in the same city, when Renee Nicole Good, a 37-year-old mother of three, was shot by ICE agent Jonathan Ross.

Video footage of the Pretti incident shows agents restraining and pepper-spraying him after he intervened when a woman was pushed to the ground. Moments later, gunshots were heard as witnesses screamed. In the immediate aftermath, administration officials described Pretti as a “domestic terrorist” who intended to “massacre law enforcement.”

A preliminary report sent by CBP to Congress confirmed that two agents discharged their weapons during the struggle. The report claims that the officers were forced to fire after Pretti, who was carrying a gun, resisted arrest. However, bystander videos show that officers shot Pretti after they had already confiscated his gun.

“CBP personnel attempted to take Pretti into custody. Pretti resisted CBP personnel’s efforts, and a struggle ensued. During the struggle, a BPA (Border Patrol agent) yelled, ‘He’s got a gun!’ multiple times,” the report read. “Approximately five seconds later, a BPA discharged his CBP-issued Glock 19 and a CBPO also discharged his CBP-issued Glock 47 at Pretti.”

Both agents have been placed on paid administrative leave.