Greg Bovino, the U.S. Border Patrol commander known for leading the Trump administration’s mass deportation campaign, announced his retirement following controversial immigration enforcement operations in Minneapolis that resulted in two deaths. Bovino was removed from his role as U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) commander at large in January after the incidents.
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Bovino confirmed his retirement in an interview with Breitbart and returned to serve as Border Patrol sector chief in El Centro, California. He described working alongside Border Patrol agents as the “greatest honor” of his life, highlighting the difficult conditions and dangers faced by the agency.
In June 2025, Bovino led a deployment to Los Angeles targeting criminal illegal immigrants, which sparked significant local opposition, including criticism from Mayor Karen Bass. Operations later extended to several other cities, culminating in the Minneapolis deployment.
The Minneapolis raids drew heightened scrutiny and criticism from Democrats and community activists who accused federal agents under Bovino’s command of aggressive tactics that sometimes targeted immigrants without criminal records and endangered U.S. citizens. During the Minneapolis actions, two U.S. citizens were fatally shot: Renee Good, who was killed by a U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement agent after she drove toward an agent, according to the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), and Alex Pretti, who was shot after allegedly approaching agents with a handgun and resisting disarmament.
Bovino’s decision to retire comes amid ongoing controversy and unrest related to these immigration enforcement efforts. DHS and CBP have not publicly commented on Bovino’s retirement.
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