Who is Greg Bovino? Border Patrol’s acting commander seen in city sweeps
Border Patrol Commander, ICE update on MN shooting
We are hearing more this Sunday from Border Patrol Commander Gregory Bovino one day after the deadly Minneapolis shooting involving federal law enforcement agents. This comes after Bovino said the man killed by a Border Patrol agent in Minneapolis was repeatedly shot because he had a loaded handgun. Alex Pretti, 37, was killed after being shot by a Border Patrol agent in Minneapolis Saturday morning. Bovino addressed the media, taking questions about the recent shooting, the ensuing protests and unrest, and current immigration operations both in Minnesota and nationwide.
Gregory Bovino has become the public face of the Trump administration’s sweeping immigration reform, seen going from city to city in big sweeps.
The long-time Border Patrol agent is active on social media, often wears tactical gear to press conferences, and has deployed tactics and strategies over his 30-year career that have been met with mixed reviews.
FILE - US Customs and Border Patrol Commander Gregory Bovino stands in a gas station parking lot in Minneapolis, Minnesota on January 21, 2026. (Photo by Madison Thorn/Anadolu via Getty Images)
Here is what to know as he is taking a higher profile amid the ongoing immigration crackdown:
Border Patrol career
Big picture view:
U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) has led interior immigration enforcement since it was created in 2003, but the Border Patrol has been around much longer. Both fall under the umbrella of the Department of Homeland Security, which is currently led by Secretary Kristi Noem who previously served as the Governor of South Dakota.
A push by the Border Patrol to return to the agency’s roots and focus more on the nation’s interior is giving Bovino’s career a rebound. His fall and rise illustrates how fundamentally immigration policy, tactics and messaging have changed under President Trump.
Timeline:
A North Carolina native, he joined the Border Patrol in 1996 and is nearing the agency’s mandatory retirement age of 57.
Under the Biden administration, he was relieved of command of the agency’s El Centro, California, sector, where he rose to be one of 20 regional chiefs across the country. The details weren’t reported, but The Associated Press says it involved an online profile picture of him posing with an M4 assault rifle; social media posts that were considered inappropriate; and sworn congressional testimony that he and other sector chiefs gave on the state of the border during a record surge of migrants.
Since then, under Trump’s second administration, Bovino has risen to prominence as the president launched his aggressive immigration crackdowns across the country.
Bovino led the immigration operation in Los Angeles over the summer, which resulted in thousands of arrests. Agents smashed car windows, blew open a door to a house and patrolled MacArthur Park on horseback. Bovino went on to lead campaigns in Chicago – where tense encounters and use of tear gas were in legal limbo – Charlotte, and New Orleans.
READ MORE: Border Patrol chief accused of lying about being hit by rock before tear gas used at Chicago protest
Presently:
Bovino has been in Minneapolis, where three shootings involving federal agents have taken place so far this month. Two were deadly, and the most recent one involved a border patrol agent.
READ MORE: Minneapolis shooting: What we know about the Border Patrol agent who shot Alex Pretti
Dig deeper:
Bovino is used to being in front of the cameras. In 2021, he led journalists in swimming across the All-American Canal, an aqueduct in southeastern California, whose deceptively swift current and smooth concrete lining result in migrant deaths every year. In 2023, he locked reporters in a vehicle trunk, saying he wanted them to appreciate the dangers firsthand.
"Turn and burn" strategy
What they're saying:
He also knows the power of a good slogan, often calling the pacing of his operation "turn and burn."
His M.O. is to get in and out of a sweep as quickly as possible, moving from one location to the next, to avoid potential conflict with demonstrators.
The other side:
Bovino’s strategy and tactics have been met with opposition, and not just recently.
In 2010, he pitched his boss on raiding the airport and bus stations in Las Vegas. The operation was supposed to last three days but got called off after the first hour yielded dozens of arrests and unleashed a furious reaction from then-Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid, a Nevada Democrat.
Bovino has also been the subject of two court orders dealing with racial profiling, which the administration has appealed, one for raids he led in California’s San Joaquin Valley during the final month of Joe Biden’s presidency and for one that unfolded last summer in Los Angeles.
And a federal judge found Bovino was "outright lying" about use of force, including his own, during the Chicago operation, according to court filings, depositions and body camera footage reviewed by the FOX 9 Investigators.
Who is Border Patrol Chief Gregory Bovino?
Border Patrol Chief Gregory Bovino has been spotted in the Twin Cities as thousands of federal immigration agents descend on Minnesota.
READ MORE: Border Patrol chief was 'outright lying' about previous ICE surge
What's next:
It’s unclear how long ICE and Border Patrol agents will be in Minneapolis, or where they might head to next under Trump’s sweeping crackdown. President Trump was sending Border Czar Tom Homan to Minnesota this week to manage ICE operations.
The Source: Information in this article was taken from previous local FOX Television Stations reportings, including FOX 11 Los Angeles, FOX 32 Chicago and FOX 9 Minneapolis. Background information was taken from The Associated Press. This story was reported from Detroit.