Federal immigration agents, Jesus Ochoa and Raymundo Gutierrez, have been identified in government records by ProPublica as the two officers who fired the shots that killed Alex Pretti during a January 24 protest in Minneapolis, Minnesota.
Read more: Who are the Border Patrol agents involved in Alex Pretti shooting? First details
Who is Jesus Ochoa?
According to government records reviewed by ProPublica, Jesus Ochoa is a 43-year-old Border Patrol agent who joined CBP in 2018.
He was assigned to Operation Metro Surge when he and fellow agents opened fire on Pretti in Minneapolis.
Who is Raymundo Gutierrez?
Government records state that Raymundo Gutierrez is a 35-year-old who serves as a Customs and Border Protection officer, also assigned to Operation Metro Surge, a program that dispatched numerous armed and masked agents throughout the city as part of an immigration enforcement dragnet, which started in December.
Gutierrez joined CBP in 2014 and is primarily working for CBP’s Office of Field Operations. He is a member of a special response team that carries out dangerous missions similar to police SWAT units.
Both agents from South Texas
{{/usCountry}}Gutierrez joined CBP in 2014 and is primarily working for CBP’s Office of Field Operations. He is a member of a special response team that carries out dangerous missions similar to police SWAT units.
Both agents from South Texas
{{/usCountry}}According to ProPublica's report, both agents hail from South Texas.
Ochoa, aka Jesse, according to his ex-wife, Angelica Ochoa, earned a criminal justice degree from the University of Texas-Pan American.
Read more: Alex Pretti shooting: Eyewitness ‘feels guilty’ over Minneapolis nurse's death
Ocha is a gun enthusiast
According to Angelica, Ochoa had always dreamt of working for the Border Patrol. He finally landed a job there, after which the couple headed for a divorce in 2021.
Angelica told ProPublica that by the time they split, Ochoa acquired roughly 25 rifles, handguns, and shotguns as a gun enthusiast.
Both agents are placed on administrative leave
CBP has not formally released the names or provided detailed public statements about Ochoa and Gutierrez.
However, according to a BBC report and a previous announcement by the CBP, administrative leave has been granted to two agents who were involved in the shooting death of an American citizen in Minneapolis.
This is a standard protocol where the agents remain on leave until review of potential use-of-force violations has been completed.
It's unknown how long the agents will be off the job or when they were placed on leave.