Minnesota prosecutors on Thursday announced felony charges and a nationwide arrest warrant for an ICE agent accused of pointing his duty gun at two civilians in a moving car — the first criminal case tied to the Trump administration’s large-scale Operation Metro Surge.
Hennepin County Attorney Mary Moriarty said ICE agent Gregory Donnell Morgan Jr. faces two counts of second-degree felony assault after an incident on February 5. Prosecutors allege Morgan drove an unmarked SUV on the highway shoulder, pulled alongside a slower vehicle and pointed his weapon at both occupants’ heads while continuing to drive. The passengers called 911 and recorded the SUV’s Utah license plate; investigators traced the plate to a rental linked to Morgan’s ICE partner.
Morgan voluntarily spoke with Minnesota State Patrol investigators, saying he feared for his safety when the other car pulled in front of him. He told investigators he drew his weapon and shouted, “Police! Stop!” Prosecutors note the victims’ windows were up and they had no way to identify him as law enforcement. “For a federal agent, our opinion is that illegally driving on a shoulder, pulling up to a car and pointing a gun at the heads of two community members who are not doing anything at the time is well beyond the scope of their authority,” Moriarty said. Each felony count carries up to seven years in prison under Minnesota law.
The Department of Homeland Security did not respond to requests for comment. Acting U.S. Attorney General Todd Blanche has previously warned the Justice Department could investigate or prosecute state and local officials who arrest federal agents acting in official capacities; Moriarty said she is “not concerned about blowback” and will enforce Minnesota law regardless.
Morgan’s case moved quickly, Moriarty said, because video and a license plate provided a clear evidentiary trail. That contrasts with the more complex investigations into three fatal shootings that occurred during Operation Metro Surge, including the deaths of two U.S. citizens — Alex Pretti and Renee Macklin Good — at the hands of federal officers. Minnesota is separately suing the federal government for access to evidence in those cases, which remain under investigation.
Operation Metro Surge, described by DHS as its largest immigration enforcement operation, deployed about 3,000 agents to the Minneapolis–St. Paul area from December through February, resulting in thousands of arrests and widespread protests. The surge and its fallout — including the deaths, leadership changes within federal enforcement ranks, and ongoing legal battles — have become a flashpoint in national politics. Democrats are using controversies around the operation to apply pressure ahead of midterm fights over immigration reform measures such as the CLARITY Act.
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