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Greg Bovino defended a federal immigration enforcement surge in Minneapolis that ended with the removal of roughly 700 agents from Minnesota following two fatal shootings of U.S. citizens, according to an interview he gave to the BBC. Bovino, who served as a commander-at-large for Customs and Border Protection, became the public face of the operation known as Metro Surge before his removal from the post in January. The former official told the BBC the decision to pull back amounted to a surrender by the administration amid mounting protests and political pressure.
The operation drew intense scrutiny after the Jan. 7 shooting death of Renee Good, a 37-year-old mother of three, and the subsequent killing of Alex Pretti, a 37-year-old intensive care nurse, during encounters with federal officers. Bystander video of both incidents circulated widely and fueled bipartisan criticism, an Associated Press report from January detailed. President Donald Trump responded by saying he would de-escalate, leading to the scaled-back federal presence in the city.
A Fox News report in March noted that Bovino announced his retirement after being reassigned, with the operation shifted under the direct oversight of White House border czar Tom Homan. Homan assumed control as the administration adjusted its approach following the backlash, according to multiple accounts from the time. Bovino said in the BBC interview that he had not received a final explanation for his removal from the role.
Bovino dismissed a lawsuit filed by the family of one of the shooting victims, stating he was not responding to it and that people file lawsuits frequently. He praised the officers involved in the Minneapolis operation for their efforts in what he described as dangerous conditions. In an August interview with Newsmax, Bovino similarly blamed unspecified administration officials for failing to deliver on mass deportation promises, saying they had let the effort down.
Minnesota authorities have continued their independent investigation into the two deaths, but federal officials paused cooperation on sharing evidence in recent months, according to court filings reported by local outlets including KARE 11 on October 23. Hennepin County Attorney Mary Moriarty had received some materials earlier in the year, including hard drives and the vehicle involved in Good’s shooting, before the halt. State officials noted in filings that key items such as agents’ cellphones and interview recordings remain outstanding.
The Metro Surge operations formed part of a wider Trump administration push for interior immigration enforcement that began in 2025, an Intercept article from January outlined. Bovino later launched a whiskey brand tied to the campaign, with marketing that referenced the deportation efforts, a New York Magazine profile published October 19 reported. He has maintained in various interviews that the agents performed appropriately under difficult circumstances.
