Feds Release Evidence In Metro Surge Killings After 6-Month Delay, State Says

MINNEAPOLIS, MN — Hard drives containing evidence federal authorities withheld for six months in the killings of Renee Good and Alex Pretti, and the shooting of Julio Sosa-Celis, are now in state hands.

The shootings happened during Operation Metro Surge, when roughly 2,000 federal immigration agents were sent to Minnesota, dwarfing local police departments.

Hennepin County Attorney Mary Moriarty announced the handover Monday, along with Renee Good's car and other physical evidence that had been kept from state investigators since the shootings roughly six months ago.

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In exchange, the BCA has shared its own case files with the U.S. Attorney's Office, marking the first two-way evidence sharing between state and federal authorities in the cases.

The Department of Justice has not publicly commented on the evidence transfer.

But Minnesota Attorney General Keith Ellison did not mince words about the delay.

"I remain deeply troubled that the federal government spent more than half a year attempting to conceal this evidence from state investigators, and I hope this is the beginning of a major course correction on the part of the federal government," Ellison said.

Ellison said it should never have taken this long for state law enforcement to gain access to the federal government's evidence, and that Minnesotans deserve a complete, transparent and independent investigation into what happened to Good, Pretti and Sosa-Celis.

Moriarty said her office has not prejudged any of the incidents and is now analyzing the new evidence alongside what it already had.

"We need transparency. We need cooperation. Our community needs it. Renee Good and Alex Pretti's family deserve it. Julio Sosa-Celis deserves it. Our democracy requires it," Moriarty said.

"This analysis is ongoing," she said. "It will be thorough, fair, and complete. We are committed to seeing this through, to making a decision and being transparent about it no matter where the evidence takes us."

Attorney Antonio Romanucci, who represents Renee Good's family, called the evidence transfer a meaningful step.

"The transfer of evidence, including Renee and Becca Good's vehicle, from federal to local authorities is an important and meaningful step towards justice and accountability," Romanucci and the legal team said in a statement.

"We are grateful for the resumption of regular investigatory protocols, which is not only important for the families impacted in these cases, but it is essential for the community and the country."

The BCA and the Attorney General's Office led the push to reach the agreement. The Washington Litigation Group and the Institute for Constitutional Advocacy and Protection have provided pro bono support since January.