210
2 months ago
Report: FBI agent who tried to investigate ICE officer who shot Renee Good resigns after pressure
Summary
The FBI agent who tried to investigate the federal officer who fatally shot Renee Good in Minneapolis has reportedly resigned.
According to the New York Times, Tracee Mergen recently left her role as an agent at the FBI’s Minneapolis office.
Mergen had been pursuing a civil rights inquiry into Johnathan Ross, the ICE officer who shot 37-year-old Good on Jan. 7 amid a heightened immigration crackdown in the metro.
But the Times claims that federal officials pressured Mergen to step away from the investigation into Ross, as the Department of Justice instead pursued an investigation into Good and her widow.
According to MS Now, FBI agents involved in the investigation into Ross were instructed by the office of Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche to redraft their warrant and change the subject of the investigation to Good for suspected assault on an officer.
A federal magistrate judge reportedly rejected that warrant.
Mergen isn’t the only official to resign as federal investigators shift the focus of the case from Ross to Good.
Six federal prosecutors, including Minnesota's top fraud prosecutor Joe Thompson, resigned from the U.S. Attorney’s Office of Minnesota earlier this month, reportedly due to the DOJ's move to investigate Good's widow.
State officials have also been sidelined from the investigation. Days after Good’s shooting, the BCA announced that it no longer had access to evidence and testimony after the FBI took sole ownership of what was supposed to be a joint investigation.
In response, Hennepin County Attorney Mary Moriarty and Minnesota Attorney General Keith Ellison revealed that their offices will work together to collect and preserve evidence to share with the BCA in an effort to support a state-level investigation.
The same happened on Saturday following the killing of Alex Pretti in Minneapolis, with federal authorities barring Minnesota investigators from accessing the crime scene.
This story was originally published by Bring Me The News on Jan 26, 2026, where it first appeared in the MN News section. Add Bring Me The News as a Preferred Source by clicking here.
Get caught up on this morning’s news: Alex Pretti’s killing, winter storm impacts and more in today’s edition of The Yodel newsletter
The woman who was killed by an Immigration and Customs Enforcement officer last week was found unresponsive with wounds to her chest, arm and head, according to newly-released records from first responders.
Get caught up on this morning’s news: Minneapolis ICE shooting updates, Nick Reiner’s lawyer quits and more in today’s edition of The Yodel newsletter
Local government officials and the Trump administration are giving dramatically different accounts of the events that led to the shooting.
A majority of Americans (54%) now say ICE is doing more harm than good.
There are no recruitment ads for Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) running on Spotify at the moment, the streaming service has told Variety.
The 37-year-old was pronounced dead at a local hospital on Wednesday.
Get caught up on this morning’s news: The latest in Minneapolis, Miami advances in College Football Playoff and more in today’s edition of The Yodel newsletter
The U.S. Border Patrol official had become one of the public faces of President Trump's immigration enforcement operation in Minnesota.
A season that started with questions over Stafford's durability ended with questions over whether he can deliver at least one more MVP-level season for a Rams team whose immediate future hinges on it.
According to the New York Times, Tracee Mergen recently left her role as an agent at the FBI’s Minneapolis office.
Mergen had been pursuing a civil rights inquiry into Johnathan Ross, the ICE officer who shot 37-year-old Good on Jan. 7 amid a heightened immigration crackdown in the metro.
But the Times claims that federal officials pressured Mergen to step away from the investigation into Ross, as the Department of Justice instead pursued an investigation into Good and her widow.
According to MS Now, FBI agents involved in the investigation into Ross were instructed by the office of Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche to redraft their warrant and change the subject of the investigation to Good for suspected assault on an officer.
A federal magistrate judge reportedly rejected that warrant.
Mergen isn’t the only official to resign as federal investigators shift the focus of the case from Ross to Good.
Six federal prosecutors, including Minnesota's top fraud prosecutor Joe Thompson, resigned from the U.S. Attorney’s Office of Minnesota earlier this month, reportedly due to the DOJ's move to investigate Good's widow.
State officials have also been sidelined from the investigation. Days after Good’s shooting, the BCA announced that it no longer had access to evidence and testimony after the FBI took sole ownership of what was supposed to be a joint investigation.
In response, Hennepin County Attorney Mary Moriarty and Minnesota Attorney General Keith Ellison revealed that their offices will work together to collect and preserve evidence to share with the BCA in an effort to support a state-level investigation.
The same happened on Saturday following the killing of Alex Pretti in Minneapolis, with federal authorities barring Minnesota investigators from accessing the crime scene.
This story was originally published by Bring Me The News on Jan 26, 2026, where it first appeared in the MN News section. Add Bring Me The News as a Preferred Source by clicking here.
Get caught up on this morning’s news: Alex Pretti’s killing, winter storm impacts and more in today’s edition of The Yodel newsletter
The woman who was killed by an Immigration and Customs Enforcement officer last week was found unresponsive with wounds to her chest, arm and head, according to newly-released records from first responders.
Get caught up on this morning’s news: Minneapolis ICE shooting updates, Nick Reiner’s lawyer quits and more in today’s edition of The Yodel newsletter
Local government officials and the Trump administration are giving dramatically different accounts of the events that led to the shooting.
A majority of Americans (54%) now say ICE is doing more harm than good.
There are no recruitment ads for Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) running on Spotify at the moment, the streaming service has told Variety.
The 37-year-old was pronounced dead at a local hospital on Wednesday.
Get caught up on this morning’s news: The latest in Minneapolis, Miami advances in College Football Playoff and more in today’s edition of The Yodel newsletter
The U.S. Border Patrol official had become one of the public faces of President Trump's immigration enforcement operation in Minnesota.
A season that started with questions over Stafford's durability ended with questions over whether he can deliver at least one more MVP-level season for a Rams team whose immediate future hinges on it.
AI Description
An FBI agent resigned after reportedly facing pressure to shift focus from investigating an ICE officer involved in a fatal shooting. The Justice Department allegedly redirected the investigation towards the victim and her family.