A North Carolina bakery owner who confronted retired U.S. Border Patrol Commander Gregory Bovino this weekend claims he ‘denied entry’ to the former official.
On Sunday afternoon, Bovino and Border Hawk White House Correspondent Wid Lyman were conducting an interview in a Charlotte parking lot when a man exited his vehicle and began heckling them from a distance.
EXCLUSIVE: Retired Border Patrol Commander Never Attempted to Enter Charlotte Bakery Owned by Colombian Activist
A North Carolina bakery owner who confronted retired U.S. Border Patrol Commander Gregory Bovino this weekend claims he ‘denied entry’ to the former official.
On… pic.twitter.com/rJgy36ucGI
— Border Hawk (@BorderHawkNews) August 24, 2026
“You’re not welcome in Charlotte!” the man hollered.
After asking the man to repeat himself for clarity, Bovino replied, “Well, you’re not welcome in my country. Is this your country? This is my country. I will be welcome in my country anywhere I want to.”
The man then identified himself as the owner of nearby Manolo’s Bakery.
Manolo Betancur, a Colombian national with U.S. citizenship, is also the founder and president of By Immigrant Hands, a Charlotte-based nonprofit organization.
Betancur and Bovino sparred verbally for nearly 20 minutes in a roadway adjacent to the bakery.
Toward the end of the encounter, Lyman thanked Betancur for his time and asked him if the bakery was open, expressing interest in making a purchase.
Betancur stated that the business was closed for HVAC repairs, before adding, “I choose who is coming in.”
“Oh, you wouldn’t let me in?” Bovino asked.
“No, bro,” Betancur replied while shaking his head.
Moments later, he claimed, “Everybody is welcome here.”
On Sunday evening, Manolo’s Bakery issued a press release addressing the encounter and inviting media inquiries.
“Manolo Betancur Denies Former U.S. Border Patrol Commander Gregory Bovino Entry to Manolo’s Bakery,” the release stated.
“On Sunday, August 23, Manolo Betancur, owner of Manolo’s Bakery and longtime advocate for Charlotte’s immigrant community, confronted former U.S. Border Patrol Commander-at-Large Gregory Bovino at the bakery and refused to allow him inside, telling him he was not welcome at Manolo’s Bakery, on its property, or in Charlotte.”
Bovino has slammed “disinformation” being published about the interaction by mainstream media.
“Manolo recognized and approached me, not the other way around. He first said his bakery was closed due to AC problems and then changed when Border Hawk asked to buy a bakery item,” Bovino stated in a reply to Queen City News on X.
“So no, I never tried to ‘gain entry’ into the location that, for reasons known only to Manolo, shut down during [Operation] Charlotte’s Web. Any guesses why this ‘businessman’ would shut down during an immigration operation?”
Betancur has claimed his bakery suffered losses of $50,000 – $64,000 during a brief immigration enforcement blitz led by Bovino in the Charlotte area last year.
