Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem Accuses Minnesota Leaders of Inciting Violence Against Federal Officers

Department of Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem criticized Minnesota Governor Tim Walz and Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey during a Saturday press conference, accusing them of encouraging violence against federal law enforcement following a confrontation in which a man was shot and killed by federal officers.

“We also recognize that the Minnesota governor and the Minneapolis mayor need to take a long, hard look in the mirror,” Noem stated. “They need to evaluate their rhetoric, their conversations, and their encouragement of such violence against our citizens and our law enforcement officers.”

Minneapolis Police Chief Brian O’Hara reported that 37-year-old Alex Jeffrey Pretti, an ICU nurse at the Minneapolis Veterans Affairs Health Care System with no criminal record beyond parking tickets, was shot and killed during a confrontation with federal officials. Customs and Border Protection Commander Greg Bovino said Pretti possessed a 9mm semi-automatic handgun and ammunition magazines.

Noem accused Walz of undermining federal law enforcement by claiming in a recent press conference that “our officers were not even law enforcement,” which she called a lie. She also alleged that Walz referred to federal agents as the “Gestapo,” encouraged residents to resist, and doxed their identities, putting themselves and their families’ lives at risk.

The incident occurred at 9:05 A.M. Central time when Pretti approached U.S. Border Patrol officers with a firearm; an agent fired defensive shots after the suspect reacted violently. Hundreds of protesters later arrived at the scene, obstructing and assaulting federal law enforcement officers.

Walz has activated the Minnesota National Guard at the Hennepin County Sheriff’s Office’s request due to concerns about “potential for continuing and growing conflict” following the shooting. Noem reiterated her demand that the governor and mayor turn over dangerous criminals from their jails to federal authorities, stating: “They have refused because they want us talking about attacking law enforcement officers instead of the fraud and the theft that they facilitated in Minnesota.”