Paul Perez, president of the National Border Patrol Council, isn’t buying the narrative being pushed by the left after a deadly encounter between federal agents and a 37-year-old ICU nurse in Minnesota. During an appearance Saturday on Newsmax’s “The Count,” Perez defended the actions of law enforcement and pointed the finger squarely at political rhetoric coming from Democrats and their media allies.
Calling the incident “such a tragedy,” Perez said the situation never should have escalated to that point — and blamed leaders and media figures for stirring hostility toward officers. “I think the left-leaning media and politicians like Gov. Tim Walz and Mayor Jacob Frey are to blame for this type of rhetoric that is causing these people to come out and aggressively antagonize and impede law enforcement,” Perez said. In other words, when officials demonize police, some people take that as an invitation to interfere — and the results are deadly.
Perez stressed that federal agents were engaged in “lawful activity” and targeting “the worst of the worst.” He added that outside interference only makes their jobs more dangerous. “These people are out there making it difficult for our job to be done,” he said. “And in the end, this guy, he paid for it with his life.” A harsh outcome, but one rooted in a confrontation that never needed to happen.
When asked about reports suggesting the firearm may have been inside a vehicle rather than on the man himself, Perez didn’t hesitate. “I know he did have a gun on him,” he said, underscoring that inserting yourself into law enforcement activity while armed is a recipe for disaster. “The last thing you want to do is interject yourself into law enforcement activity… especially when you’re carrying a gun.”
Perez also pushed back against second-guessing the officer involved. “Our law enforcement officers are trained very well,” he said. “He perceived the threat. He saw a threat. And he took the action that he felt he needed to take.” Perez made his position clear: “I stand by him. I support his decision 100%.” That’s called backing the people who protect you — a concept some politicians seem to have misplaced.
Addressing reports that the man held a legal permit to carry, Perez said gun rights don’t come with a license to interfere with police. “That’s fine. I support the Second Amendment,” he said. “But at the end of the day… I’m not going to disobey commands, and I’m not going to get into a physical altercation with law enforcement officers while I am armed.” A simple rule: rights come with responsibility.
Perez concluded that the safest move would have been to stay out of the situation entirely. “You don’t want to interfere with law enforcement, especially when you’re armed,” he said, as the investigation continues.
While the left looks for scapegoats and talking points, Border Patrol leaders are standing up for the men and women on the front lines. The message is clear: respect the law, respect law enforcement, and tragedies like this become far less likely — a goal everyone should be able to agree on.
