Gregory Bovino, a longtime Border Patrol commander who led the Trump administration’s controversial immigration enforcement operations in Minneapolis and Chicago, retired in March while under an internal investigation by U.S. Customs and Border Protection, according to records released last week.
CBP informed Bovino on March 2 that it was “conducting an official Inquiry into allegations of misconduct reported to CBP.” Just 16 days later, Bovino submitted his official retirement request, ending nearly three decades with the Border Patrol.
STOCK: federal office investigation administrative
The investigation centered on two main areas. First, CBP investigators questioned Bovino about his testimony in federal court regarding Operation Midway Blitz, the Trump administration’s aggressive immigration enforcement campaign in Chicago. U.S. District Judge Sara Ellis had found Bovino lacked credibility and misled the court about events in Chicago’s Little Village neighborhood, where he authorized the use of tear gas against protesters and media.
The investigative documents show CBP asked Bovino whether he understood that Judge Ellis’s findings about his credibility would need to be disclosed if he testified in future trials. Investigators also questioned whether Ellis’s ruling made him “Giglio impaired”—a legal term referring to prosecutors’ obligation to disclose credibility problems that could be used to challenge law-enforcement testimony.
Second, CBP investigators asked Bovino to respond to allegations that he made antisemitic comments during a January conference call. The investigator directly asked Bovino: “Did you make a comment to the effect of ‘Do Orthodox criminals also take off Saturday?'” and followed up with questions about whether he made comments referencing “chosen people,” an apparent reference to Jewish people. These alleged remarks were directed at a Minneapolis prosecutor.
Bovino told CBS News that he was “forced to retire,” claiming CBP Commissioner Rodney Scott pursued the investigation for political reasons rather than legitimate misconduct concerns. Bovino stated that Scott “didn’t go after Bovino for legitimate reasons, but because Bovino was a political rival coupled with the fact Rodney Scott was adamantly opposed to interior enforcement by the US Border Patrol.” He also accused Scott of weaponizing the agency’s Office of Professional Responsibility “to kill off a rival.”
STOCK: resignation letter federal employment documents
CBP declined to comment on the investigation or Bovino’s claims. A CBP spokesperson said the agency does not comment on personnel matters for employees who are no longer with the agency, and noted that “Bovino voluntarily retired from CBP.”
Bovino had been removed from his role as CBP commander at large in January 2026 following the fatal shootings of two U.S. citizens—Renee Good and Alex Pretti—during immigration enforcement operations in Minneapolis. The deaths and Bovino’s response, including his unsubstantiated claim that Pretti intended to “massacre” federal agents, triggered widespread political backlash. He was reassigned to his former position as chief patrol agent in El Centro, California, before announcing his retirement two months later.
Bovino had been a public face of the Trump administration’s controversial immigration crackdowns in Los Angeles, Chicago, Charlotte, New Orleans, and Minneapolis. His tenure was marked by aggressive enforcement tactics that drew legal challenges and investigations into potential misconduct by federal agents under his command.
Sources
- CBS News — Bovino’s retirement under investigation, the March 2 notification, and his statements to the network
- Chicago Tribune — The investigation’s existence and details about Operation Midway Blitz misconduct allegations
- The Hill — Details on Operation Midway Blitz investigation and Judge Sara Ellis’s credibility findings
- Seattle Times — Investigation timeline and Bovino’s antisemitic comments allegations
- NewsNation — Bovino’s accusations against CBP Commissioner Rodney Scott
- The New York Times — Bovino’s alleged antisemitic remarks about a Minneapolis prosecutor
