Federal prosecutors have finally turned over key evidence long sought by Minnesota investigators in their ongoing probe into the fatal shootings of Renee Good and Alex Pretti, state prosecutors announced on Monday. The two individuals were killed during intense, pitched protests against a major immigration enforcement crackdown earlier this year. Hennepin County Attorney Mary Moriarty confirmed that the office of U.S. Attorney for Minnesota Daniel Rosen provided materials that had been withheld for months, including hard drives containing statements, police body camera video, and other critical materials. Federal prosecutors also turned over the badly damaged SUV belonging to Good.
"The wonderful thing now is we have all the evidence," Moriarty said, adding that whenever the government is responsible for taking the life of a community member, a full and thorough investigation is required. Good, a 37-year-old mother of three, was shot and killed in her vehicle while leaving an anti-immigration enforcement protest in Minneapolis on January 7. Her death was followed by that of Alex Pretti, a 37-year-old intensive care nurse who was shot and killed during a January 24 protest. These deaths sparked national outrage and widespread calls to rein in immigration enforcement tactics. The Minneapolis crackdown, known as "Operation Metro Surge," was billed as the largest immigration enforcement operation ever before it concluded in February.
At least nine people have been killed nationwide since the Trump administration’s immigration enforcement campaign began last year. To date, no one has been charged in connection with these deaths, and the federal government has frequently suggested that state prosecutors lack the jurisdiction to investigate federal officers. While lawyers for Good’s family described the transfer of evidence as an important and meaningful step toward justice and accountability, the situation remains complex. The Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension, which has taken custody of the evidence, stated that great strides have been made to ensure a thorough and complete review of the shootings.
However, legal friction persists. A lawyer for Pretti’s family, Steve Schleicher, stated that during a meeting on Monday afternoon, Rosen’s office would not confirm any formal cooperation agreement between state and federal agencies. "No family should be required to beg federal authorities to do their job," Schleicher said. He added that without a public commitment to cooperate, it is difficult or impossible to pursue justice and hold individuals accountable for Pretti’s death. Spokespersons for Rosen’s office, as well as ICE and the Department of Homeland Security, did not immediately respond to requests for comment.
Moriarty declined to specify what exactly prompted the federal government to release the evidence. However, recent court filings in a lawsuit brought by state and local officials suggest the breakthrough occurred after federal officials sought evidence that state investigators had gathered in the separate investigation of ICE agent Christian Castro. Castro, 52, was charged with assault and falsely reporting a crime regarding the January 14 nonfatal shooting of Julio Cesar Sosa-Celis. Prosecutors allege Castro fired through the front door of a Minneapolis home, striking Sosa-Celis in the thigh while pursuing another man. Following that incident, court documents indicated that the FBI, the U.S. Attorney’s Office, and state officials had re-engaged in discussions regarding mutual information sharing.
Minnesota Attorney General Keith Ellison stated on Monday that he remains deeply troubled that it took more than half a year for federal officials to hand over the materials. "It should never have taken this long," Ellison said, expressing hope that this marks the beginning of a major course correction by the federal government. Despite the handover, Moriarty noted she is not yet prepared to drop the lawsuit against the Trump administration, which seeks access to evidence in all three shootings.
The tension extends beyond Minnesota. In Houston, prosecutors are complaining that the administration is still withholding critical information regarding the death of Lorenzo Salgado Araujo, a Mexican national who had lived in the U.S. for decades. DHS claims officers stopped Salgado Araujo while searching for another individual and that the man rammed an ICE vehicle, prompting an officer to open fire in self-defense. However, the agency has yet to provide evidence for this claim. Harris County District Attorney Sean Teare stated that his office does not even know the identities of the ICE officers involved or their current whereabouts. Meanwhile, on Monday, an ICE agent shot and killed a motorist in Biddeford, Maine, after federal officers claimed the man, a Colombian national, attempted to use his vehicle as a weapon while being pursued for deportation.
The man killed Monday in Maine was from Colombia. Federal officers claimed he tried to use his vehicle as a weapon against officers pursuing him for deportation. The shooting took place in Biddeford, a coastal city of about 23,000 people roughly 15 miles (24 kilometers) southwest of Portland.
