Border Patrol Agent Gregory Bovino Retires After Controversial Tenure

Bovino, known for aggressive immigration enforcement tactics, leaves the agency after 26 years of service.

Mar. 19, 2026 at 3:48am

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Gregory Bovino, a 26-year veteran of the U.S. Border Patrol, has confirmed plans to retire in the coming weeks. Bovino became a high-profile figure during the Trump administration's crackdown on immigration, leading enforcement operations in major cities like Los Angeles, Chicago, and Minneapolis that drew criticism for their aggressive tactics. After a stint as chief of the Border Patrol's El Centro, California sector, Bovino is now stepping down from the agency.

Why it matters

Bovino's tenure highlighted the controversial approach to immigration enforcement embraced by the Trump administration, which prioritized mass deportations and a heightened Border Patrol presence in urban areas far from the southern border. His aggressive tactics, including the use of chemical agents against protesters, drew condemnation from civil liberties groups and some local officials.

The details

Bovino joined the Border Patrol in 1996 and rose through the ranks, but he didn't gain national attention until last June when he became the commander of the administration's crackdown in Los Angeles. There, agents made thousands of arrests, often near Home Depots and car washes, and used tactics like smashing car windows and blowing open a door to a house. Bovino later took his enforcement efforts to Chicago and Minnesota, where his actions, including a helicopter raid and the use of chemical agents against demonstrators, further fueled criticism of the administration's immigration policies.

  • Bovino joined the Border Patrol in 1996.
  • Bovino became the commander of the Trump administration's immigration enforcement crackdown in Los Angeles in June 2025.
  • Bovino later led operations in Chicago and Minnesota in late 2025 and early 2026.
  • Bovino left Minnesota shortly after the death of U.S. citizen Alex Pretti on January 24, 2026.
  • Bovino has been serving as chief of the Border Patrol's El Centro, California sector since 2020.

The players

Gregory Bovino

A 55-year-old veteran of the U.S. Border Patrol who joined the agency in 1996 and rose through the ranks, becoming a high-profile figure during the Trump administration's aggressive immigration enforcement tactics in major cities.

Donald Trump

The former president of the United States, who oversaw the administration's crackdown on immigration that Bovino helped implement.

Renee Good

A U.S. citizen who was killed during the clashes between demonstrators and immigration authorities in Minnesota.

Alex Pretti

A U.S. citizen who was killed during the clashes between demonstrators and immigration authorities in Minnesota.

Tom Homan

The White House border czar who replaced Bovino in Minnesota after Pretti's death.

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What they’re saying

“We're not going to hit one location. We're going to hit as many as we can. All over — all over — the Los Angeles region, we're going to turn and burn to that next target and the next and the next and the next, and we're not going to stop. We're not going to stop until there's not a problem here.”

— Gregory Bovino, Border Patrol Agent

“What happens at the border, even 100 years ago, didn't stay at the border, and it still doesn't. That's why we're here in Los Angeles.”

— Gregory Bovino, Border Patrol Agent

“We use the least amount of force necessary to effect the arrest, we do that. If I had more CS gas, I would have deployed it.”

— Gregory Bovino, Border Patrol Agent

“My role is not to tell you that you can or cannot enforce validly passed laws by Congress. … My role is simply to see that in the enforcement of those laws, the agents are acting in a manner that is consistent with the Constitution.”

— U.S. District Judge Sara Ellis

“This looks like a situation where an individual wanted to do maximum damage and massacre law enforcement.”

— Gregory Bovino, Border Patrol Agent

What’s next

Bovino's retirement from the Border Patrol will likely mark the end of his high-profile role in the agency's aggressive immigration enforcement tactics during the Trump administration.

The takeaway

Bovino's tenure as a prominent figure in the Trump administration's crackdown on immigration highlighted the controversial and confrontational approach embraced by the White House, which prioritized mass deportations and an expanded Border Patrol presence in urban areas far from the southern border. His retirement signals the end of an era, but the lasting impact of those policies remains a subject of debate.