From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia Gregory BovinoBovino in 2026BornGregory Kent BovinoMarch 27, 1970 (age 56)San Bernardino County, California, U.S.EducationWestern Carolina University (BA)Appalachian State University (MA)OccupationLaw enforcement officerYears active1996–presentDuring a Department of Homeland Security press conferenceRecorded January 20, 2026 Gregory Kent Bovino (born March 27, 1970) is a United States Border Patrol officer who served as the commander-at-large of the Border Patrol from October 2025 to January 2026. Bovino graduated from Western Carolina University in 1993 and attended Appalachian State University for graduate school. In 1996, he joined the United States Border Patrol and was assigned to El Paso, Texas. By 2008, Bovino had become an assistant chief at the Border Patrol's sector in Yuma, Arizona. That year, he was promoted to patrol agent in charge of the station in Blythe, California. Bovino later became the chief of the sectors in New Orleans and El Centro, California. In the second presidency of Donald Trump, Bovino became involved in the administration's immigration policy. In June 2025, he was named the tactical commander of a mass raid operation in Los Angeles that led to protests across the city. After the operation concluded, he shifted to Chicago to serve as the commander of Operation Midway Blitz. In the Los Angeles and Chicago operations, Bovino assumed a public-facing role. By October, he was named as a commander-at-large of the Border Patrol. In December 2025, Bovino began leading Operation Metro Surge, a major immigration crackdown in Minneapolis, Minnesota. Following the killing of Alex Pretti in January 2026, Bovino's comments faced criticism from within the Trump administration, and he was removed from leading the operation. The Atlantic reported that month that Bovino had been removed as commander-at-large of the Border Patrol, which the Department of Homeland Security denied. Early life and education Gregory Kent Bovino[1] was born on March 27,[2] 1970, in San Bernardino County, California.[1] Bovino was born to an Italian American family; his great-grandparents emigrated from Calabria to Pennsylvania in 1909, becoming naturalized citizens in 1927.[3] He has also claimed Cherokee ancestry, but is not a member of any Cherokee tribe.[4] Bovino's parents moved to Blowing Rock, North Carolina, two years after he was born.[1] His father, Michael, owned a bar. In 1981, Michael drunkenly crashed his truck into a woman's car, killing her. He pleaded guilty to death by motor vehicle and served four months in prison. Michael was forced to sell the bar, leading to the family's financial struggles, and Bovino's parents divorced three years later.[1][3] Bovino graduated from Watauga High School in 1988.[5] He attended Western Carolina University, appearing on the dean's list in 1991.[6] That year, Bovino began the Leader Development and Assessment Course at Fort Lewis.[5] He received a bachelor's degree from Western Carolina in 1993[7] and a master's degree from Appalachian State University in 1996.[8] Career Early Border Patrol work and sector chiefships (1996–2025) After graduating from Appalachian State University in 1996, Bovino joined the Boone Police Department.[3] That year, Bovino, inspired by autobiographies of former agents[8] and having watched The Border (1982) as a child,[1] joined the United States Border Patrol as a member of Class 325 at the Border Patrol Academy.[8] He was assigned to the Border Patrol's sector in El Paso, Texas, and worked as the acting field operations supervisor in the tactical unit for the city. In 2004, Bovino began working at the sector in Yuma, Arizona. By December 2008, Bovino had become an assistant chief at the Yuma sector's headquarters. That month, he was promoted to the patrol agent in charge of the station in Blythe, California.[9] In 2010, Bovino led an operation, intended to last three days, to raid airport and bus stations in Las Vegas; the plan was halted after the first hour amid criticism from Nevada senator Harry Reid.[10] By August 2019, Bovino had become the chief of the Border Patrol's sector in New Orleans,[11] and by March 2021, he had become the chief of the sector in El Centro, California;[12] he was relieved of that position in August 2023.[10] Near the end of Joe Biden's presidency, Bovino led operations that resulted in dozens of arrests in the Central Valley.[13] The tactics employed by Bovino in Kern County, referred to as Operation Return to Sender, were later ruled illegal by a federal judge.[14] Initial Trump administration operations (January–October 2025) Bovino outside the Broadview ICE Facility in September 2025 In Donald Trump's second presidency, Bovino led the implementation of the administration's immigration policy in California. In June, he was named the tactical commander of a mass raid operation in Los Angeles that led to protests across the city.[8] In July, acting U.S. Attorney Michele Beckwith told Bovino to follow a court order; she was dismissed by Trump.[15] Bovino told the Associated Press in September that after reaching the mandatory retirement age of 57, he would return to North Carolina to harvest apples.[10] In September, Bovino was reassigned to command Operation Midway Blitz, an Immigration and Customs Enforcement operation in Chicago.[16] He assumed a high-profile role in the Los Angeles and Chicago campaigns, particularly on social media,[15] leading a man to allegedly solicit Bovino to be killed.[17] In an interview with The Wall Street Journal, Bovino compared a border patrol officer to a police officer, saying the latter "deter[s] crime by his presence".[18] The next month, he clashed with protesters in Chicago.[19] In one instance, he was recorded throwing a tear gas canister at a mass of protesters; plaintiffs in a lawsuit alleged that Bovino had violated a court order preventing federal immigration agents from using tear gas.[20] The judge who imposed the order, Sara L. Ellis, admonished Bovino[21] and ordered him to report on the Border Patrol's use of force daily.[22] The order to report was paused by an appeals court.[23] Commander-at-Large of the Border Patrol In October, secretary of homeland security Kristi Noem named Bovino as the "commander-at-large" of the Border Patrol, a rank with no statutory basis, in an op-ed. Bovino operated outside the Border Patrol's command structure, reporting directly to Noem. He was involved in a reorganization effort at ICE along with Corey Lewandowski, Trump's former campaign manager who has advised Noem.[24] In a September 2025 email exchange, Bovino stated that in matters of interior immigration enforcement he reported directly to Lewandowski, rather than to Todd Lyons of ICE, writing "Mr. Lyons said he was in charge, and I corrected him saying I report to Corey Lewandowski."[25] In an interview with The Wall Street Journal, Bovino compared a border patrol officer to a police officer, saying the latter "deter[s] crime by his presence".[18] The next month, Ellis extended her temporary restraining order against ICE's use of tear gas and pepper balls, saying Bovino had lied under oath about threats posed by protesters and reporters.[26] He appeared amid operations in Charlotte, North Carolina,[27] New Orleans, Louisiana,[28] and Minneapolis, Minnesota, the site of the killing of Renée Good, an American citizen whose death led to protests.[29] The New York Times later reported that Bovino had allegedly made derogatory remarks towards Daniel Rosen, the U.S. attorney for the District of Minnesota, over his Orthodox Jewish faith.[30] Bovino walks alongside BORTAC officers in Minneapolis in January 2026 Following the killing of Alex Pretti amid protests in Minneapolis in January 2026, Bovino stated that Pretti intended to inflict "maximum damage and massacre law enforcement".[31] He defended the Border Patrol officer who killed Pretti, claiming that Pretti "approached" agents with a 9 mm semiautomatic handgun and that he "violently resisted" when officers attempted to disarm him. Bystander video contradicted Bovino's statements; in immediate footage that was released, Pretti holds a phone in his hand after an officer shoved a woman and is detained.[32] On January 26, two days after Pretti's death, the Trump administration moved Bovino out of Minneapolis and transferred responsibility to Tom Homan.[33] Hours later, The Atlantic reported that Bovino had been dismissed as commander-at-large and would return to El Centro, California;[34] ABC News reported that he would be resuming his duties as sector chief.[35] The Department of Homeland Security denied reports that Bovino had been ousted.[36] Bovino's access to his social media accounts was revoked by high-ranking officials at the Customs and Border Protection; he regained access after returning to El Centro, according to The New York Times.[37] Public image Bovino's aggressive tactics have drawn controversy.[38][33] References ^ a b c d e Ensor, Josie (January 27, 2026). "Who is US border chief Gregory Bovino, the 'little Napoleon' with a viral coat?". The Times. Archived from the original on January 27, 2026. Retrieved January 26, 2026. ^ "Gregory K Bovino in the California Birth Index, 1905-1995" (Document). California Birth Index. ^ a b c Mihalopoulos, Dan; FitzPatrick, Lauren (December 12, 2025). "Greg Bovino's the star of Trump's deportation show. We trace his roots". Chicago Sun-Times. Archived from the original on January 8, 2026. Retrieved January 11, 2026. ^ Baker, Katie J. M.; Aleaziz, Hamed (March 24, 2026). "Gregory Bovino's Final Days: Harsh Words and Few Regrets". The New York Times. Retrieved March 24, 2026. ^ a b "Unifour in Uniform". Hickory Daily Record. August 10, 1991. Retrieved September 27, 2025. ^ "Area Students Make Dean's List At Western Carolina University". Asheville Times. June 22, 1991. Retrieved September 27, 2025. ^ "WCU 1993 graduates named". Asheville Citizen-Times. May 9, 1993. Retrieved September 27, 2025. ^ a b c d Aleaziz, Hamed; Jiménez, Jesus (August 29, 2025). "The Border Patrol Chief Leading the California Immigration Crackdown". The New York Times. Archived from the original on September 27, 2025. Retrieved September 27, 2025. ^ Sanchez, Stephanie (December 3, 2008). "Ex-EP supervisor to head Blythe station". El Paso Times. Retrieved September 27, 2025. ^ a b c Spagat, Elliot (September 4, 2025). "Gregory Bovino, head of Los Angeles campaign, shows how immigration agents rack up arrests". Associated Press. Archived from the original on September 24, 2025. Retrieved September 27, 2025. ^ "Suspected MS-13 member arrested during traffic stop". American Press. August 3, 2019. Retrieved September 27, 2025. ^ Pinho, Faith; Campa, Andrew; Vives, Ruben; Mejia, Brittny (March 3, 2021). "Two SUVs breached the U.S.-Mexico border. One erupted in fire. The other crashed, killing 13". Los Angeles Times. Archived from the original on September 7, 2025. Retrieved September 27, 2025. ^ Aleaziz, Hamed (October 18, 2025). "What Powers Does the Border Patrol Have Across the Country?". The New York Times. Archived from the original on October 27, 2025. Retrieved October 28, 2025. ^ Mayorquín, Orlando; Jiménez, Jesus (January 19, 2026). "Before Urban Raids, Border Patrol Tested Tactics in California Farm Country". The New York Times. Retrieved January 26, 2026. ^ a b Knight, Heather; Aleaziz, Hamed (September 26, 2025). "Trump Fired a U.S. Attorney Who Insisted on Following a Court Order". The New York Times. Retrieved October 28, 2025. ^ Johnson, Rebecca; Olander, Olivia (September 9, 2025). "Immigration enforcement subdued Tuesday as local officials brace for Trump's 'Operation Midway Blitz'". Chicago Tribune. Archived from the original on November 7, 2025. Retrieved October 28, 2025. ^ Meisner, Jason; Rodríguez Presa, Laura (October 15, 2025). "Chicago man indicted for allegedly soliciting killing of Gregory Bovino, but without contention of gang involvement". Chicago Tribune. Archived from the original on October 20, 2025. Retrieved October 28, 2025. ^ a b Barrett, Joe; Hackman, Michelle (October 11, 2025). "The Man Leading Trump's Urban Immigration Crackdown". The Wall Street Journal. Archived from the original on October 13, 2025. Retrieved October 28, 2025. ^ Bosman, Julie; McCann, Allison; Lajka, Arijeta (October 12, 2025). "How Trump's Chicago Immigration Crackdown Escalated, in 10 Videos". The New York Times. Archived from the original on October 27, 2025. Retrieved October 28, 2025. ^ Bosman, Julie (October 23, 2025). "Tensions Mount as Agents, Including Gregory Bovino, Clash With Chicagoans". The New York Times. Archived from the original on October 27, 2025. Retrieved October 28, 2025. ^ Bosman, Julie (October 28, 2025). "Judge Admonishes Border Patrol Leader for Tactics in Chicago". The New York Times. Archived from the original on October 28, 2025. Retrieved October 28, 2025. ^ Meisner, Jason (October 28, 2025). "'Not how any of us want to live': Judge orders Border Patrol boss Bovino to court daily to report use of force". Chicago Tribune. Archived from the original on October 28, 2025. Retrieved October 28, 2025. ^ Garcia, Armando (October 29, 2025). "Appeals court blocks order requiring CBP's Greg Bovino to meet with judge daily on Chicago immigration crackdown". ABC News. Archived from the original on October 30, 2025. Retrieved October 30, 2025. ^ Ainsley, Julia; Strickler, Laura (October 27, 2025). "Trump plans to install Border Patrol officials to lead a more aggressive migrant crackdown". NBC News. Archived from the original on October 27, 2025. ^ Ainsley, Julia (February 2, 2026). "Bovino frustrated by directive to conduct 'targeted operations' in Chicago". NBC News. ^ Fernando, Christine; Tareen, Sophia (November 6, 2025). "Chicago judge says Border Patrol official lied about threats before restricting agents' use force". AP News. Archived from the original on November 11, 2025. ^ Medina, Eduardo; Mokam, Bernard (November 15, 2025). "U.S. Border Patrol Launches Operation in Charlotte". The New York Times. Archived from the original on January 22, 2026. ^ Medina, Eduardo; Aleaziz, Hamed; Sims, Shannon (December 3, 2025). "Federal Immigration Agents Arrive in New Orleans". The New York Times. Archived from the original on December 4, 2025. ^ Fuller, Thomas; Ulloa, Jazmine (January 13, 2026). "'Like a Military Occupation': Clashes Rise With Federal Agents in Minneapolis". The New York Times. Archived from the original on January 16, 2026. ^ Londoño, Ernesto; Aleaziz, Hamed (January 31, 2026). "Bovino Is Said to Have Mocked Prosecutor's Jewish Faith on Call With Lawyers". The New York Times. Retrieved January 31, 2026. ^ Rogers, Katie; Aleaziz, Hamed (January 24, 2026). "Trump and Federal Officials Try to Blame Minnesota Authorities and Slain Man". The New York Times. Retrieved January 26, 2026. ^ Kinnard, Meg; Fingerhut, Hannah (January 26, 2026