Former Trump Border Commander Says He Was Stripped of Protection as Officials 'Want Him Dead'

Former Border Patrol commander Greg Bovino has made a stunning allegation about his former colleagues in the Trump administration, claiming his security detail was removed after he left federal service and saying he now believes officials want him dead.

Bovino made the claim during an interview with Tucker Carlson, recorded on 26 August and published on 27 August. But he made one crucial distinction, saying he does not believe Donald Trump personally wants him killed.

Instead, Bovino pointed to senior figures within the administration, specifically naming the US Customs and Border Protection Commissioner over the removal of his protection.

The Chilling Carlson Exchange

The most explosive moment came when Carlson questioned Bovino about his lost security detail. Bovino said he had faced serious death threats and described himself as 'one of the highest, if not the highest' threats within the Department of Homeland Security. He also claimed his home and family had been targeted.

Carlson then asked whether the effort to silence Bovino could ultimately put his life at risk. 'Silence you like, get you killed?' Carlson asked.

'Do I think they want me dead at this point? Yes,' Bovino replied. He said he felt he was in a 'running battle' whenever he went out in public, describing encounters with people he considered threatening. Those claims have not been independently substantiated.

Bovino Names CBP Commissioner

Carlson pressed Bovino on who he believed was responsible for the decision to remove his protection. Bovino said the CBP commissioner was the person who took away his security detail, with Trump's border czar present.

'I think Rodney Scott, he's the one that took my security detail away with Homan there. Yeah, absolutely. You bet,' Bovino alleged.

The distinction is important. Bovino did not say Homan personally ordered the removal. He identified the CBP Commissioner while saying Homan was present. Scott has not publicly confirmed Bovino's account.

Trump Is Not the Target

Despite the extraordinary allegation, Bovino stopped short of accusing Trump himself. When Carlson asked whether the president wanted him dead, Bovino said, 'I don't think Trump would.'

He argued that Trump would react strongly if he knew what Bovino believed had happened to him or what could happen to Border Patrol and ICE personnel who disagree with senior officials.

Bovino's accusation is therefore directed at people he says operate within the administration, rather than at Trump personally.

DHS Rejects the Allegation

The Trump administration has offered a sharply different explanation for the loss of Bovino's protection.

A Department of Homeland Security spokesperson said federal security details are provided to designated officials while they are serving in government. Once an official leaves federal service, that protection ends.

The department characterised the withdrawal as standard procedure, saying former federal officials are responsible for arranging their own security once they become private citizens.

The White House also called Bovino's allegation 'absurd' and defended Homan as a career law enforcement officer. A White House official said Homan does not make security decisions for current or former DHS officials.

That leaves a straightforward factual dispute: Bovino views the withdrawal as an effort to silence him, while DHS says his protection ended because his federal service ended.

There is no public evidence establishing that officials deliberately removed his protection to endanger him.

From Border Enforcer to Critic

Bovino's allegation is particularly striking because he was once deeply embedded in Trump's immigration crackdown.

The veteran Border Patrol officer became commander-at-large in October 2025 and emerged as one of the administration's most visible immigration enforcers. He was removed from that role in January 2026, returned to El Centro, California, and retired from Border Patrol in March after nearly three decades with the agency.

His tenure also placed him at the centre of the controversial federal immigration operation in Minneapolis, where Border Patrol agents were involved in the fatal shootings of Renee Good and Alex Pretti.

Bovino's departure came during wider upheaval at DHS. Kristi Noem was removed as secretary in March and replaced by Markwayne Mullin.

What Evidence Has Been Presented?

During the Carlson interview, Bovino insisted, 'Proof's in the pudding.' But the publicly available reporting does not establish that the withdrawal of his security detail was intended to put him in danger.

What is established is that Bovino says he faced 'death threats', that his federal protection was withdrawn after he left government service, and that he specifically identified the CBP Commissioner in connection with the decision.

What remains disputed is why the protection was removed and whether Bovino's circumstances warranted anything beyond the standard procedure described by DHS. For now, the explosive allegation remains an allegation, while the administration maintains that the security withdrawal was routine.