Fox News anchor Maria Bartiromo challenged the narrative offered by FBI Director Kash Patel on Sunday regarding the fatal shooting of 37-year-old Alex Pretti by a Border Patrol agent in Minneapolis, pressing him repeatedly for clarity on what evidence actually supports the government’s account.
During an interview on Sunday Morning Futures, Patel defended the actions of Border Patrol and echoed comments made earlier by Department of Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem, arguing that violence against law enforcement will not be tolerated.
“Secretary Noem stated perfectly, you do not get to attack law enforcement officials in this country without any repercussions,” Patel said. He added that individuals do not have the right to confront or touch officers anywhere in the United States without consequences.
Patel went on to question Pretti’s intent, suggesting that his presence at the protest undermined claims that he was acting peacefully. According to Patel, no one seeking a peaceful outcome would arrive at a protest armed.
“No one who wants to be peaceful shows up at a protest with a firearm that is loaded with two full magazines,” Patel said. “That is not a peaceful protest, and you do not get to touch law enforcement. You do that anywhere, this FBI is going to be following — leading the charge to arrest those.”
Bartiromo was unconvinced and pushed back hard, asking Patel to explain precisely how Pretti posed a threat to Border Patrol agents.
“But how was he threatening Border Patrol?!” Bartiromo asked. She noted that Patel had said evidence was already collected and questioned how the firearm was allegedly used. Bartiromo pointed out that Pretti appeared to be filming the encounter and asked directly what constituted the threat.
“You’ve collected the evidence, you said, right?” she continued. “You have the handgun in your possession. And how was he using that handgun in terms of threatening Border Patrol? What was the threat? He had his camera, right? He was filming it.”
After that exchange, Patel appeared to soften his tone and became more guarded in his responses. He declined to elaborate on specifics, saying the investigation was being handled by other agencies.
“That’s something that I let the DHS and the prosecutors — because they are the ones investigating that case, I don’t want to stylize that evidence,” Patel said. He added that he trusts law enforcement professionals to use force only when absolutely necessary and expressed confidence in DHS leadership and Homeland Security Investigations to handle the matter appropriately.
Bartiromo then turned to a key question surrounding the shooting: when Border Patrol agents actually observed the weapon Pretti allegedly carried.
“Kristi Noem said that the individual approached U.S. Border Patrol officers with a 9-millimeter semi-automatic handgun,” Bartiromo said. “Was the gun visible, or did Border Patrol see the gun after they shot him?”
Once again, Patel declined to provide a direct answer, saying he did not want to comment on an ongoing investigation being led by DHS and HSI.
“I understand,” Bartiromo replied, before pressing further. “But you have the evidence. What can you tell us about the evidence you collected?”
Patel’s response suggested that the FBI’s role was largely limited to forensic analysis rather than determining the circumstances of the shooting itself.
“It’s sent to our FBI laboratory, where it’ll be fingerprinted,” Patel said. He added that ballistics tools would be used to determine whether any rounds were fired and that all shell casings recovered from the scene would be examined.
The exchange underscored the lack of publicly available details surrounding the incident, even as senior officials continue to defend the actions of federal agents. Bartiromo’s pointed questioning highlighted unresolved questions about the timeline of events and the nature of the alleged threat, issues that remain central as investigations continue.
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