Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Secretary Kristi Noem on Saturday labeled the alleged actions of the suspect killed in a Border Patrol-involved shooting in Minneapolis as “domestic terrorism,” accusing Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz and Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey of inciting violence against federal officers while stressing that President Donald Trump is prepared to invoke the Insurrection Act if deemed necessary.

“When you perpetuate violence against a government because of ideological reasons and for reasons to resist and perpetuate violence, that is the definition of domestic terrorism,” Noem said during a news conference at FEMA headquarters in Washington, D.C.

“This individual who came with weapons and ammunition to stop a law enforcement operation of federal law enforcement officers committed an act of domestic terrorism,” Noem added. “That’s the facts.”

Noem described the incident beginning while DHS officers carried out “targeted operations” in Minneapolis against an illegal alien whose criminal history included domestic assault, disorderly conduct, and driving without a valid license.

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“An individual approached U.S. Border Patrol officers with a 9-millimeter semi-automatic handgun,” and agents attempted to disarm him. “The officers attempted to disarm this individual, but the armed suspect reacted violently,” Noem said. “Fearing for his life and for the lives of his fellow officers around him, an agent fired defensive shots.”

Medics attempted to render aid, Noem said, but the man, later identified as 37-year-old Alex Pretti, “was pronounced dead at the scene.” 

She also claimed that Pretti had “two magazines with ammunition in them that held dozens of rounds” and no identification.

“This looks like a situation where an individual arrived at the scene to inflict maximum damage on individuals and to kill law enforcement,” Noem said.

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The shooting was followed by unrest in the area, Noem said. 

“Hundreds of protesters then showed up at the scene,” she said. “They began to obstruct and to assault law enforcement officers,” she added. “We saw objects being thrown at them, including ice and other objects, and a rampant assault began.

“A [Homeland Security Investigation] HSI agent’s finger was bitten off.” 

She said crowd-control measures were deployed “to bring safety to the public and to law enforcement at the scene.”

Noem said the situation “did not have to happen,” placing blame on Minnesota’s political leadership. 

“The Minnesota governor and the Minneapolis mayor need to take a long, hard look in the mirror,” she said. “They need to evaluate their rhetoric, their conversations, and their encouragement of such violence against our citizens and our law enforcement officers.”

NOEM SAYS ‘ARRESTS COMING’ AFTER ANTI-ICE MOB TARGETED MINNESOTA CHURCH

She also accused Walz of undermining federal officers. “I’ll remind you that Governor Walz, today in his press conference, said that our officers were not even law enforcement, which is a lie,” Noem said. “He’s called them the Gestapo.”

Noem further claimed Walz “encouraged residents and citizens and violent rioters to resist,” and alleged that state leaders had doxxed federal officers, “putting themselves and their families’ lives in jeopardy.”

During the briefing, Noem was asked whether Trump was closer to invoking the Insurrection Act in response to the unrest. She did not rule it out.

“The president will use every tool that he needs to follow through on his promises to the American people,” Noem said.

She added that the Trump administration would continue operating in Minneapolis despite objections from state and local leaders.

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“We’re going to treat Minneapolis exactly the way that we have treated every other city across this country,” Noem said, referring to immigration enforcement operations like Operation Metro Surge underway nationwide.

Noem said DHS is investigating the shooting “just like we do all other officer-involved shootings,” and that additional details would be released as the investigation continues.

The White House did not immediately respond to Fox News Digital’s request for comment in response to Noem’s remarks.

The question everyone asks when a trade like this happens is pretty simple: Was this the right move for the team?

Some deals cut a little deeper, and this one definitely feels like one of those.

But this is how the Milwaukee Brewers operate, regardless of whether you agree with the strategy. On Wednesday, the Crew traded ace right-hander Freddy Peralta. They sent him and an expendable piece, right-hander Tobias Myers, to the New York Mets for two of their top-five prospects: infielder-outfielder Jett Williams and right-handed starter Brandon Sproat.

One of the first negative reactions I saw on social media was something from a national baseball writer to the effect of “The Brewers, not the Dodgers, are ruining baseball because they can’t afford $8 million.”

That is certainly a take. Very wrong, but certainly a take.

The Brewers were more than willing to pay Peralta $8 million for 2026. The reason behind the trade is what comes after 2026. No, I’m not talking about whatever happens related to a lockout or strike or anything related to the collective bargaining agreement.

Instead, it has to do with Peralta’s future. He will be a free agent following the 2026 World Series. Peralta enters his age-30 season in a prime position to cash in. After a team-friendly five-year, $15.5 million contract extension that then became a seven-year, $31.6 million deal with two club options that bought out two free-agent years, Peralta is due a payday. He has earned it. Remember that Peralta came to the Brewers as one of three wild cards as they dealt first baseman Adam Lind to the Seattle Mariners following the 2015 season. Peralta hadn’t played any higher than the complex league in Arizona at that point and was 19 years old when he joined the Crew.

In the 10 years since, Peralta has been a self-made pitcher. Sure, the Brewers gave him all the tools they could, but it was Peralta who put in the work and rose from obscurity to MLB All-Star and Cy Young Award contender. And the Brewers reaped the benefits of that and took advantage of the salary-suppression system MLB employs to get more value out of their investment in Peralta. No longer is he Fastball Freddy, the youngster who could only throw a variety of fastballs. Now he features three offspeed pitches in a changeup, slider, and curveball to go along with a four-seam fastball.

Since his stunning 13-strikeout MLB debut on that Mother’s Day in Colorado in 2018, Peralta has been an integral part of the Brewers’ success. Since joining the rotation full-time at the beginning of the 2021 season, Peralta has been a rock in the rotation, even if he wasn’t spectacular for most of that. He started 139 of 141 games with a FIP of 3.65, an ERA of 3.30, and an ERA+ of 126. That ERA+ means Peralta was 26% above the average MLB pitcher. That number was certainly boosted by his 2025 performance, where he posted a 154 ERA+ and finished fifth in NL Cy Young Award voting.

The Brewers’ philosophy of baseball business is not to overpay. They don’t want to hand out exorbitant salaries that could weigh down their roster at the back end. The Brewers are approaching that situation with Christian Yelich, who has three more years at about $24 million each before a mutual option at $20 million for 2029 (those are usually declined). Peralta will certainly clear what Yelich, technically the Crew’s highest-paid player*, is making, perhaps even approach $30 million a year. It is his market value at this moment. The Brewers would have given Peralta a qualifying offer (probably around $23 million for 2027), which he would have declined and netted the Brewers one single draft pick.

That was the situation Brandon Woodruff was in this offseason. Woodruff accepted the qualifying offer and returned on a $22.025 million contract for 2026. That is on top of the $10 million mutual option buyout the Crew paid Woodruff instead of a $20 million contract. So Woodruff is really making $32.025 million this season* (thus the mythical highest-paid Brewers player).

Could the Brewers afford Peralta’s $8 million for 2026? Of course. That was never in question. But the Brewers, like they did with closer Josh Hader, starter Corbin Burnes, and closer Devin Williams, sold high on the player in question. Burnes netted shortstop Joey Ortiz, left-hander DL Hall, and a draft pick that resulted in first baseman Blake Burke from the Baltimore Orioles. Williams brought back third baseman Caleb Durbin and left-handed starter Nestor Cortes.

Hall hasn’t panned out yet, and Cortes flamed out due to injury. Ortiz and Durbin are the starting left side of the infield. Time will tell on Jett Williams and Sproat, but their pedigree is higher than that of the others acquired in those other two deals. This is how the Brewers churn their talent. This is part of the secret sauce they have used to win three straight NL Central titles.

I am on record as saying Peralta was the perfect player for the Brewers to invest in. He epitomizes what they do, taking a ball of clay and molding it into something useful.

But I also understand the Brewers’ philosophy and agree with it to a certain extent. Players should get paid what they are worth, and teams also have the right not to make a bad investment. Hader cashed in. Devin Williams got his payday. So did Burnes, who then got hurt. Peralta, barring the unforeseen, will get his next offseason.

Just not from the Brewers, who sold Peralta at his peak and now instead have two good prospects, bolstering an already-burgeoning farm system.

Was this the right move for the team?

Yes, it was.