In a gut-wrenching exclusive revelation that has Minneapolis – and America – boiling with rage, sources close to the investigation have dropped a bombshell: beloved VA ICU nurse Alex Jeffrey Pretti, 37, was savagely assaulted by federal immigration officers just one week before Border Patrol agents gunned him down in broad daylight on January 24.
The compassionate caregiver – who spent his life saving veterans in the intensive care unit – allegedly suffered a broken rib when five masked federal agents tackled him to the ground, one leaning heavily on his back during a peaceful protest against ICE’s aggressive family roundups. “That day, he thought he was going to die,” a terrified source whispered to CNN, speaking anonymously out of fear of retribution.
Pretti, the heroic nurse whose death has sparked nationwide outrage and vigils, pulled over his car after spotting ICE agents chasing what he believed was a terrified family fleeing on foot. He jumped out, shouting warnings and blowing a whistle to alert the neighborhood – classic First Amendment-protected activism. But instead of de-escalation, the response was brutal force: agents swarmed him, slammed him down, and crushed his ribcage. Medical records reviewed by CNN confirm he was prescribed painkillers and treatments “consistent with a broken rib.” He was released at the scene – but the damage was done, both physical and psychological.
Even more sinister: federal authorities already knew who he was. Sources confirm Pretti’s name was on the radar of immigration enforcers well before the fatal encounter. A chilling DHS memo circulated earlier this month to agents on temporary duty in Minneapolis ordered them to “capture all images, license plates, identifications, and general information on hotels, agitators, protestors, etc., so we can capture it all in one consolidated form.” The form – dubbed “intel collection non-arrests” – lets officers log personal details on anyone they deem an “agitator,” even if no arrest occurs.
Was Pretti flagged in this shadowy database? It’s unclear if the agents who wrestled him to the ground on Saturday recognized the man they’d already injured – but the possibility raises explosive questions about targeted harassment and excessive force against American citizens exercising their rights.
The pattern is terrifying. Trump border czar Tom Homan boasted on Fox News about creating a public “database” to make “interfering” protesters “famous” – blasting their faces on TV, notifying employers, neighbors, and schools. In Maine, a federal agent was caught on video recording a woman’s license plate and sneering, “We have a nice little database and now you are considered a domestic terrorist.” DHS denied running a “domestic terrorists” list – but insisted they monitor threats, assaults, and obstruction against officers.
FBI Director Kash Patel warned on a podcast that Signal chats used by anti-ICE observers are under scrutiny, claiming they “illegally entrap” law enforcement. DHS even launched a tip line for reports of harassment against ICE agents. Meanwhile, Pretti – a registered gun owner who legally carried – was disarmed during the scuffle before agents opened fire, pumping multiple rounds into him in seconds, according to bystander videos and audio analysis.
Pretti’s grieving family and supporters see a clear vendetta. The nurse, who read final salutes to dying veterans and comforted families in crisis, had joined protests after the earlier fatal shooting of Renée Good by ICE officers. “He was there to bear witness and help people,” his loved ones insist. Colleagues at the Minneapolis VA remember a tireless empath – not a troublemaker.
Yet federal officials stand firm: agents feared for their lives after Pretti allegedly resisted and produced a firearm. DHS has refused to comment on the prior assault or the intel-gathering memo. No body-cam footage has been released from either incident.
As candlelight vigils swell and a GoFundMe for Pretti’s family tops $1 million, calls for an independent probe grow deafening. Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz and nursing unions demand answers. Was the broken rib a warning? Did federal agents target a man they already viewed as a threat? And why does a hero nurse end up dead in the street after trying to protect a family?
The images haunt: Pretti’s makeshift memorial at the shooting site, piled high with flowers and candles; protesters facing off against masked agents; an X-ray glimpse of fractured ribs symbolizing the brutality.
Alex Pretti didn’t just die – he was allegedly broken first, then finished off. In the shadow of aggressive enforcement, one question screams: Who watches the watchers?
Rest in power, Alex. Your story – and your pain – won’t be silenced.
