Overview
Gregory Bovino is a U.S. Border Patrol commander whose conduct during Operation Metro Surge became the target of one of 14 open criminal investigations by Hennepin County Attorney Mary Moriarty’s office. Bovino was videotaped dispersing chemical agents at Minneapolis protests; DHS defended the action by claiming agents responded to a “hostile crowd.”
Key Facts
- Border Patrol commander during Operation Metro Surge
- Videotaped dispersing chemical agents at Minneapolis protests Minnesota Kicks Off Legal Battle With Trump Administration to Hold ICE Shooters Accountable
- DHS defense: agents responded to a “hostile crowd”
- Subject of one of Moriarty’s 14 open criminal investigations into federal-agent conduct
- Removed from CBP commander-at-large role in January 2026 after the deaths of Renée Good and Alex Pretti; returned to original sector chief role in El Centro, California Border Patrol’s Gregory Bovino to retire, sources say
- Retiring end of March 2026 — coincides with Noem’s announced last day at DHS; Bovino was eligible for retirement and one year from CBP’s mandatory retirement age of 57 Border Patrol’s Gregory Bovino to retire, sources say
- Reported directly to Noem AND her senior adviser Corey Lewandowski — political-operations reporting line, not standard chain of command Border Patrol’s Gregory Bovino to retire, sources say
- Federal judge in Chicago found Bovino “repeatedly lied” about threats from immigrants and protesters; in one specific incident he claimed he threw a gas canister after being hit by a rock — had to walk back the claim after video evidence contradicted him Border Patrol’s Gregory Bovino to retire, sources say
- Email obtained by NBC News: Bovino was frustrated in Chicago when ordered to conduct “targeted” arrests rather than “full scale immigration enforcement” — internal pushback to constraint
- Operational footprint beyond Minnesota: Los Angeles (Fashion District, Home Depot rental-truck arrests), New Orleans, Charlotte, Chicago
Newsletter Relevance
Bovino’s case is one of 14 parallel investigations Moriarty is running against individual federal agents — useful as a named example to ground the “14 investigations” figure in a specific, video-documented incident.
Connections
- Operation Metro Surge — operational context
- Mary Moriarty — prosecutor investigating
- Department of Homeland Security — parent, defended conduct
Source Appearances
- Minnesota Kicks Off Legal Battle With Trump Administration to Hold ICE Shooters Accountable — named as subject of Moriarty investigation
- Border Patrol’s Gregory Bovino to retire, sources say — March 2026 retirement; Chicago judge “repeatedly lied” findings; rock-throw walk-back; Lewandowski reporting line
Open Questions
- Has Bovino been charged in Moriarty’s criminal investigation?
- Will Bovino retain pension and benefits given the Chicago judge’s “repeatedly lied” findings?
- Did the email frustration about “targeted” arrests in Chicago appear in any other contemporaneous DHS communications? (Records-preservation lawsuit may surface this.)
- What is the status of the Chicago lawsuit filed over his use of chemical agents in residential neighborhoods?