In a significant shift within the U.S. Border Patrol, Gregory Bovino, known for his prominent role during Donald Trump’s stringent immigration policies, has been reassigned from his current position. Bovino is set to return to El Centro, California, where he previously served and is reportedly on the verge of retirement, according to a report by the Atlantic, referencing insights from a Homeland Security official and other informed sources.

This development follows a weekend of intense online exchanges involving Bovino. As reported by CNN, the Border Patrol commander was stripped of his access to official government social media accounts. This decision came amid a heated debate on social media concerning the fatal shooting of Alex Pretti, aged 37.

Bovino was notably active in defending federal officers during the online discussions, repeatedly posting the message, “don’t assault federal officers,” in reaction to posts that portrayed Pretti in a sympathetic light. Additionally, when a comment surfaced suggesting that Pretti was unarmed during the incident, Bovino countered by stating, “the SUSPECT confronted and assaulted officers and was armed while doing so.”

Bovino had tweeted multiple times ‘don’t assault federal officers’ in response to people sharing positive information about Pretti. 

He also, in response to one account claiming that Pretti ‘never at any time produced a gun,’ wrote that ‘the SUSPECT confronted and assaulted officers and was armed while doing so.’ 

Bovino even got into it with lawmakers, including Republican Thomas Massie, after the Kentucky Congressman wrote that ‘carrying a firearm is not a death sentence, it’s a Constitutionally protected God-given right and if you don’t understand this you have no business in law enforcement or government.’ 

He responded: ‘Attacking law enforcement is not a right like you want it to be.’

Bovino also responded angrily at Republican Louisiana Senator Bill Cassidy and Texas Democrat Senate candidate James Talarico, both of whom called for independent investigations into the shooting, as well as author Stephen King.  

Tricia McLaughlin, assistant press secretary for the Department of Homeland Security, said Bovino had not been fired and remained a ‘key part of the president’s team.’ 

Border Patrol commander Gregory Bovino, one of the faces of Donald Trump’s immigration crackdown, has been removed from his role as ‘commander at large’

The move would be a part of a major shakeup by the Trump administration at the request of Border Czar Tom Homan

The move would be a part of a major shakeup by the Trump administration at the request of Border Czar Tom Homan.

Bovino – who has been dubbed ‘little Napoleon’ – and Department of Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem have both been sidelined as Homan heads for Minneapolis.

He had previously served as the Chief Patrol Agent of the El Centro Sector of the Border Patrol in southern California before he was elevated during the second Trump administration. 

Mayor Jacob Frey confirmed that President Trump had set up a meeting between the two when Homan arrives. 

The Daily Mail has reached out to Customs and Border Patrol for comment.

The decision is aimed at de-escalating the violence between federal agents and rioters which exploded on Saturday after the killing of Pretti, an ICU nurse.

Bovino, the controversial face of Trump’s crackdown and a close ally of Noem, sparked fury in the White House when he claimed Pretti intended to ‘massacre’ federal agents.

Trump spent hours on Sunday and Monday watching cable news coverage and was unsettled by how the administration was being portrayed, one official told CNN.

Bovino – who has been dubbed ‘little Napoleon’ – and Department of Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem have both been sidelined as Homan (pictured) heads for Minneapolis

Bovino has reportedly lost access to his government social media accounts, after spending much of the weekend sparring online over the shooting of 37-year-old Alex Pretti (pictured)

Noem branded the ICU nurse a ‘domestic terrorist’ and claimed he brandished a firearm, sparking further frustration among administration officials. 

White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt distanced Trump from Noem’s language on Monday, arguing that it was not a position that the President had taken.

Bovino is a loyalist to Noem and her rumored lover Corey Lewandowski, and both have quietly pushed him as a potential replacement for current Border Patrol chief Rodney Scott, a longtime ally of Homan.

Noem has sought to sideline Scott by having Bovino report directly to her, an unprecedented move within the agency.

Bovino’s removal from Minneapolis underscores Noem’s fading standing with the White House as Trump dispatches Homan and his closest allies to seize control of the operation on the ground. 

A Border Patrol veteran of 30 years, Bovino was selected last year from his role as chief patrol agent of the agency’s El Centro sector in Southern California to lead highly publicized immigration crackdowns across the country.

His aggressive tactics, often highly choreographed public displays, sparked backlash from local officials.

Bovino often stood out as the only agent not wearing a face covering when Border Patrol descended on Home Depots and gas stations. 

The decision is aimed at de-escalating the violence between federal agents and rioters which exploded on Saturday after the killing of Pretti, an ICU nurse

Bovino often stood out as the only agent not wearing a face covering when Border Patrol descended on Home Depots and gas stations

He has gone viral on social media as he is frequently spotted on the frontlines sporting a severe buzzcut and trench coat, which German media has likened to a ‘Nazi aesthetic’. 

California Governor Gavin Newsom said on X: ‘Greg Bovino dressed up as if he literally went on eBay and purchased SS garb. Greg Bovino, secret police, private army, masked men, people disappearing quite literally, no due process.’

Bovino hit back, claiming he had the coat for more than 25 years and it was official Border Patrol merchandise. 

Jenn Budd, an author and expert on Border Patrol, described Bovino as ‘the Liberace’ of the agency. 

‘He was just a little Napoleon who wants you to think that he is the most moral and capable guy in the world, and everything around you is dangerous but he’s the one who’s going to save you,’ Budd told The Times. ‘It’s all a show for him.’

He once invited journalists to watch him swim across a canal in Southern California’s Imperial Valley in a bid to deter migrants considering the crossing. 

After Trump was re-elected Bovino used similar public relations expertise to catch the president’s eye. 

He sent dozens of agents to arrest migrants at gas stations along the highway ahead of Trump’s inauguration. 

Asked why Bovino was chosen to lead the force, McLaughlin told reporters bluntly: ‘Because he’s a badass.’

But while Bovino’s strongman image earned him Trump’s respect, his self-proclaimed ‘turn and  burn’ enforcement strategies have sparked concern.

A federal judge accused Bovino in November of being ‘evasive’ and at times ‘outright lying’ in sworn testimony about an immigration crackdown in Chicago, finding his account ‘simply not credible.’ 

Judge Sara Ellis wrote that Bovino even admitted he lied about being hit with a rock before ordering tear gas used, and noted that video evidence flatly contradicted his claim that he never tackled a protester.