Trump admin shuts down Greg Bovino’s social media accounts after he refused at hand them again: report | EUROtoday

Former Customs and Border Patrol “commander at large” Greg Bovino has had all of his official authorities social media accounts shut down after he refused to show them over to the federal authorities, in response to a brand new report.

Bovino grew to become the face of President Donald Trump’s anti-immigration raids in so-called “sanctuary cities” in 2025, and constructed a social media presence round his self-administered “commander-at-large” title. He stepped down from his function after nationwide backlash to Trump’s immigration raids and the taking pictures deaths of two protesters, Alex Pretti and Renee Good.

Bovino was energetic on social media, particularly X, but additionally on Facebook and Instagram, which collectively had some 850,000 followers. After taking up as “commander at large” of the brokers despatched into Los Angeles to conduct immigrant raids, he started posting flash social media movies hyping up the actions of ICE and Border Patrol brokers whereas infuriating advocates for immigrant communities and people who had been on the receiving finish of DHS enforcement.

The accounts he used to advertise himself and the companies really belonged to the Border Patrol’s El Centro, California, regional workplace.

On Thursday, the accounts have been shuttered, in response to a Washington Examiner report.

“Chief Patrol Agent Bovino has retired from federal service and no longer has access to official government social media accounts,” a spokesperson from U.S. Customs and Border Protection wrote in an e mail to the Examiner on Friday.

The outlet spoke to 5 individuals conversant in the battle between Bovino and the federal authorities over the social media account.

One supply instructed the Examiner that Border Patrol Commissioner Rodney Scott “gave Bovino a direct order to return the pages/accounts names to reflect El Centro Sector and that new accounts would be created.”

Bovino was reportedly upset as a result of he believed he had grown the account and that the followers have been there for him, not for the El Centro Sector. He needed to maintain his social media follower rely excessive.

“Bovino refused, arguing that the followers were his. He said he earned the followers and that his followers expected him to post from new cities,” the supply stated. “It was all about Greg Bovino getting attention and nothing else.”

On August 4, Bovino posted an announcement on his accounts, noting that he was altering the title of an official authorities account to replicate his function.

“The @USBPChiefELC Facebook page will be changing names to ‘Gregory K. Bovino, Commander-Operation At Large CA’ – @CommanderOpAtLargeCA,” he wrote on the time. “Moving forward, all content posted here will be related to Operation at Large in Los Angeles, CA.”

No different Border Patrol area chief has ever renamed a regional social media account to replicate their persona task.

Another supply instructed the Examiner that when Bovino was instructed to surrender the accounts, he stated, “Those are my followers, so I’m taking them with me.”

Corey Lewandowski, President Donald Trump’s 2016 marketing campaign supervisor and a particular worker for former DHS Secretary Kristi Noem, allegedly protected Bovino from CBP’s push to reclaim his social media, in response to the sources.

“Corey prevented the Commissioner from taking any action against Bovino, so that just empowered Bovino and his ego even more,” a 3rd supply instructed the paper. “Ever wonder why [Border Patrol] put boats on the river in Chicago? Bovino was willing to make agents literal sitting ducks just for the photo op.”

While Bovino was dabbling as a social media influencer, the El Centro area was left with out an account to put up information about developments there. The CBP allowed it to create three new accounts — one on Facebook, one on X, and one on Instagram — to put up updates. But that meant beginning recent with zero followers and thus a diminished means to share information extensively.

An official claimed that Bovino’s resolution to take the social media account for himself “damaged” the El Centro area’s means to speak with the general public and the media.

Bovino left his “commander at large” function after the deadly shootings of two protesters by DHS brokers in Minnesota. He retired two months later.

The Independent has requested remark from Bovino.