U.S. Border Patrol may be all about kicking people out of the country, but Commander Gregory Bovino just got the same treatment at a bar in Las Vegas.
Only days after President Donald Trump pulled Bovino out of Minnesota amid mounting backlash over the administration’s aggressive mass-deportation push — an effort tied to the fatal shootings of Americans Renee Good and Alex Pretti by federal agents — Bovino reportedly learned there was another place he wasn’t welcome: a Sin City sports bar.
Bovino was spotted drinking wine at Bottled Blonde, a sports bar on the Las Vegas Strip, but staff quickly moved to remove him, citing concerns for other patrons’ safety.
“Upon becoming aware of the individual’s presence, the patron was asked to leave the premises and was escorted out by staff in accordance with venue policy to maintain a safe and orderly environment for all patrons,” the venue told the Daily Beast.
The bar offered little additional detail, saying that as a private business that “does not engage in political activity or affiliations,” it reserves “the right to refuse service to any patron at its discretion.”
It’s not clear why Bovino was in Las Vegas just three days after being removed from his role as Border Patrol “commander at large” and reassigned to his previous position in California. But he was captured on video and in still photos appearing to drink with a group of younger men.
After he was escorted out of Bottled Blonde, Bovino was later seen walking down the Strip with the same group. The footage and photos set off a wave of online outrage, with critics accusing him of enjoying a carefree night out after leading an immigration sweep that they say resulted in the extrajudicial killings of two American citizens.
