Was Gregory Bovino relieved of command?

1. The direct reporting: sources that say he was relieved or reassigned

CBS News published that “one of the sources said Bovino was relieved of his command in Minneapolis” and that he was expected to return to California’s El Centro sector, a formulation echoed by other outlets reporting he will leave Minnesota “imminently” amid protests after deadly encounters involving federal agents ^{[1] [4] [5]}. Forbes, CNN-derived coverage and other news organizations likewise reported Bovino would be leaving Minneapolis alongside some agents as the White House dispatched Tom Homan to be the administration’s principal on-the-ground contact — language outlets used to describe a reassignment or pullback rather than termination ^{[2] [6] [7]}.

2. Official spin and divergent framing from the White House and allies

The White House press secretary publicly defended Bovino, saying he is “a wonderful man” who “is very much going to lead Customs and Border Patrol throughout and across the country,” comments that frame any move out of Minneapolis as an operational reallocation rather than a removal from authority within CBP ^{[3] [2]}. That official framing creates a clear tension between news accounts of a local relief of command and administration statements portraying Bovino as retained in a national leadership role ^{[3] [2]}.

3. What those phrases mean in practice — relieved of command vs. reassigned

Reporting shows journalists used terms like “relieved of his command in Minneapolis,” “reassigned,” and “expected to leave,” suggesting the most accurate reading of available reporting is that Bovino was removed from his Minneapolis post and reassigned elsewhere — a common organizational response to operational controversy — rather than dismissed from CBP entirely ^{[1] [2] [6]}. Multiple outlets describe him departing the city and the arrival of Tom Homan to take charge of local operations, which supports the view that the change was localized and tactical ^{[5] [2]}.

4. Context: a pattern of both reassignment and controversy in Bovino’s career

Bovino’s career includes prior instances where he was removed from specific commands: reporting and public records indicate he was relieved of command of the Border Patrol’s El Centro sector in August 2023, a fact noted by Wikipedia and local reporting that documents prior reassignments and disciplinary scrutiny ^{[8] [9]}. That history helps explain why journalists and critics were quick to describe the Minneapolis move in the language of being “relieved” — it fits a pattern of moving him out of high-profile local commands amid controversy ^{[8] [9]}.

5. Assessment and bottom line

Based on the available reporting, it is accurate to say Gregory Bovino was relieved of his command in Minneapolis or, put differently, reassigned out of the Minneapolis operational command amid intense public scrutiny and the deployment of a new point person, Tom Homan; however, administration statements published at the same time insist Bovino will continue to hold leadership responsibilities at the national Customs and Border Protection level, meaning this was not presented by officials as a termination of his role in the agency ^{[1] [2] [3]}. Sources differ in emphasis — local relief of command versus continued national leadership — and the reporting supports the narrower claim that he was removed from the Minneapolis command, while stopping short, in the available coverage, of showing he was fired from CBP entirely ^{[1] [2] [3]}.