❓WHAT HAPPENED: Newly unearthed footage appears to show deceased anti-ICE activist Alex Pretti violently attacking federal immigration agents in the Minneapolis-St. Paul area on January 13, around a week before he was fatally shot during a confrontation with U.S. Customs and Border Patrol (CBP) agents.
👤WHO WAS INVOLVED: Alex Pretti, federal immigration agents, The News Movement, and the BBC.
📍WHEN & WHERE: The footage is from January 13, 2026 and surfaced on social media on Wednesday, January 28, 2026.
🎯IMPACT: The BBC—using facial recognition software—was reportedly able to confirm to a 97 percent level of accuracy that the man they filmed attacking federal agents was Alex Pretti.
Newly unearthed footage appears to show anti-ICE activist Alex Pretti violently attacking federal immigration agents in the Minneapolis-St. Paul area on January 13, nearly a week before he was fatally shot during a confrontation with U.S. Customs and Border Patrol (CBP) agents. The video, captured by The News Movement and reportedly verified by the BBC, shows a man believed to be Pretti spitting on a federal law enforcement officer and shouting at agents before charging at their vehicle and kicking out its taillight.
Subsequently, a number of federal officers tackle the man believed to be Pretti to the ground and attempt to disperse the nearby crowd of protestors with tear gas. However, the federal agents are forced to retreat, and the man escapes from the agents.
The BBC—using facial recognition software—was reportedly able to confirm to a 97 percent level of accuracy that the man they filmed attacking federal agents was Alex Pretti. In the footage, what appears to be a firearm can be seen in his waistband, and he is wearing clothing very similar to what Alex Pretti was wearing on the day he was fatally shot.
Importantly, the January 13 footage may capture a confrontation reported by The National Pulse on Tuesday, in which Pretti suffered a broken rib when officers tackled him a week prior to his death. According to sources speaking with CNN, the initial incident began when Pretti stopped his vehicle after observing ICE agents pursuing illegal immigrants. He then began shouting and using a whistle, later claiming that five agents tackled him, resulting in his broken rib, though he was released shortly after.
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