Federal officials report that the undocumented immigrant sought during a recent operation, which resulted in the death of a 37-year-old American, had a history of violent offenses, including domestic assault with intent to cause bodily harm.
Border Patrol Commander Jose Huerta-Chuma managed to escape during the incident. Gregory Bovino expressed frustration to the media, claiming that his agents were being unjustly referred to as the “Gestapo,” a term associated with the notorious Nazi police.
Huerta-Chuma, reportedly from Ecuador, had other legal issues, such as driving without a license and disorderly conduct, at the time authorities attempted to apprehend him at a donut shop in Minneapolis.
President Trump acknowledged a federal review regarding the Minneapolis shooting that led to a nurse’s death, stating, “We’ll review everything.”
Bovino criticized political decisions, suggesting that they allowed dangerous individuals to live freely, implying that perhaps some voters contributed to these choices.
The Minnesota Department of Corrections later countered Bovino’s statements, arguing that federal claims about Huerta-Chuma’s criminal background contained inaccuracies. They noted that he had no links to state corrections facilities and had never been incarcerated in a state prison.
The DOC clarified that there is no record of any felonious crimes linked to Huerta-Chuma but indicated he did have a misdemeanor traffic charge and had been in federal custody in 2018. Any decisions about his release, they stated, would have been made by federal authorities. They also mentioned that they were cooperating with ICE regarding his custody transfer, which goes against some federal claims.
During the attempted arrest that went awry, it was reported that Preti, armed with a 9mm, approached an agent and was shot when the agent acted in self-defense.
After Preti’s death, more violence ensued, leading to a federal worker suffering a serious injury during the chaos.
Minnesota Governor Tim Walz announced that evidence was being gathered for any potential prosecution against the agents involved.
In response to the Minnesota DOC’s comments about Huerta-Chuma’s record, a DHS spokesperson reiterated that he indeed has a criminal history, including the offenses Bovino mentioned. Their statement urged the public to report any sightings of Huerta-Chuma, described as a violent, illegal immigrant still at large.
Fox News Digital has contacted DHS for further comments regarding the statements from the Minnesota DOC.
