Gregory Bovino set to retire from Border Patrol at end of March

United States (U.S.) Border Patrol official Gregory Bovino, who recently made headlines after controversial remarks following the shooting incidents involving federal agents, is set to retire at the end of March 2026.

Two sources familiar with the matter confirmed his decision to CBS News on Monday. His retirement would mark the second high-ranking official’s departure amid the ongoing immigration crackdown under the U.S. President Donald Trump.

Earlier, Trump replaced the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Secretary Kristi Noem, following her back-to-back contentious senate hearings.

Bovino previously led federal immigration enforcement operations in several cities, since the first deployment of federal agents to Los Angeles last year.

Over the last year, Bovino and his agents were deployed to Chicago, Charlotte, New Orleans and then to Minneapolis. Although the operations drew criticism in multiple cities, they sparked the strongest backlash in Minneapolis.

Two U.S. citizens were killed in Minneapolis in separate shooting incidents involving federal agents. Renee Nicole Good was first shot dead in her car. Then a nurse named Alex Pretti was killed in a separate incident.

Bovino faced widespread backlash after claiming that Pretti wanted to “massacre” federal agents, a statement that lacked evidence.

He was later replaced by Trump’s border czar Tom Homan to lead the immigration enforcement operations in Minneapolis. 

Bovino returned to El Centro, California, where he previously served as the chief patrol agent for that sector.