Greg Bovino wanted to face the brutal operations of the US deportation agency ICE.Image: keystone
Border Patrol Commander Greg Bovino, who became known as a symbolic figure of US President Donald Trump’s radical migration and deportation policies, is retiring early.
March 17, 2026, 07:54Mar 17, 2026, 7:55 a.m
The “New York Times” and the right-wing internet portal “Breitbart” received confirmation from Bovino himself. Other US media such as NBC News reported, citing informants at the Customs and Border Protection Agency (CBP), that the president’s protégé, known for his martial demeanor, would be retiring at the end of the month – a year before the mandatory retirement age of 57 for CBP officers.
What Trump liked about him was what horrified others
Hardly any name or face in the USA has been as associated with the controversial raids against migrants without legal residence rights as Bovinos. As a “commander at large” – i.e. head of a mobile Border Patrol command – he was deployed on the front lines in several large cities. In doing so, he earned a reputation for being extremely ruthless and for continuing to defend his well-armed officers steadfastly, even in the event of violent excesses documented on video.
Bovino’s Hollywood-style social media clips drew comparisons to paramilitary units or police departments in autocratic systems. He shocked many Americans with his infamous “turn and burn” tactics, the lightning-fast, aggressive action against suspected illegal immigrants and anyone who stood in the way of his officials. With President Trump, however, his brutal demeanor earned him recognition.
Image: keystone
Fatal shots as a turning point
Only after two incidents involving fatal shots by border guards at US citizens in Minneapolis was Bovino removed as head of operations. He had previously appeared in front of the press and claimed that the nurse Alex Pretti wanted to cause a “massacre” among his officers and was shot in self-defense – although as head of operations he could not provide any evidence of this and videos of the scene contradicted his description. With the announcement of his transfer to California, the Interior Department took him out of the firing line.
The border guard, who is mocked as “Little Napoleon” because of his small height, likes to present himself in martial poses on his social media accounts. Because of his striking haircut and double-breasted coat with a protruding collar, he was accused of using a Nazi aesthetic. Bovino’s wardrobe looks as if he had specifically looked for an SS uniform on eBay, mocked California’s Democratic governor, Gavin Newsom. Bovino rejected this. (sda/dpa)