Gregory Bovino, the Border Patrol commander who led a controversial military-style deportation campaign under the Trump administration, has retired after nearly 30 years with the agency. The 55-year-old showed no remorse for his hardline tactics, telling the New York Times he wished he had deported even more immigrants.
Bovino's tenure was marked by aggressive operations in cities including Los Angeles, Chicago, and Minneapolis. His tactics included using unmarked box trucks for arrests and mounted patrols in public parks. The operations sparked widespread protests and accusations of excessive force and racial profiling.
In January, two US citizens were killed during a federal operation in Minneapolis: Renee Good, a 37-year-old mother of three, and Alex Pretti, a 37-year-old intensive care nurse. Bovino was reassigned to the El Centro sector in California shortly after Pretti's death and replaced by border czar Tom Homan.
Bovino is reportedly under investigation by local authorities for the Minnesota operation, and Customs and Border Protection has opened an internal probe into whether he made disparaging remarks about a Jewish federal prosecutor's faith. A senior DHS staffer said Bovino 'chose to jump before he's pushed.'
His retirement follows the firing of Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem, whom Bovino had praised as 'the ultimate patriot.' President Trump nominated Oklahoma Senator Markwayne Mullin to replace Noem, and the Senate confirmed him on Monday.
