AFGE VA Nurse Alex Pretti Killed by Federal Agents in Minneapolis

On January 24, 2026, Alex Pretti — a 37-year-old ICU nurse at the Minneapolis VA Medical Center and member of AFGE Local 3669 — was shot and killed by U.S. Customs and Border Protection agents on Nicollet Avenue in Minneapolis.

Bystander video shows Pretti filming law enforcement agents and directing traffic during an immigration enforcement operation. At one point, he stepped between an agent and a woman who had been pushed to the ground. He was then pepper-sprayed, wrestled to the ground by multiple federal agents, and fatally shot. Pretti was unarmed at the time he was tackled. He was legally licensed to carry a handgun.

Two CBP agents — Raymundo Gutierrez and Jesus Ochoa — fired shots during the encounter, according to DHS notifications to Congress.

AFGE National President Everett Kelley issued a statement calling for a full and transparent investigation. Brother Pretti dedicated his career to caring for our nation’s veterans — the same veterans this administration claims to champion.

Why It Matters for Local 2328

Alex Pretti was one of us. A VA nurse. An AFGE member. He spent his days in the ICU caring for veterans at a VA medical center — just like the nurses, doctors, and healthcare workers at the Hampton VA Medical Center do every single day.

When a federal agent kills a federal employee — a union brother — in the street, every AFGE member should feel that. This is not a distant news story. This is our community.

Local 2328 stands in solidarity with AFGE Local 3669 and the Pretti family. We grieve with them. And we demand accountability.

Rest in power, Brother Pretti.

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