Chicago woman shot five times by Border Patrol agent, case dismissed
Feb 11, 2026·Location: Chicago, Illinois

On October 4, 2025, Marimar Martinez was shot five times by U.S. Customs and Border Protection agent Charles Exum during an immigration enforcement encounter in Chicago's Brighton Park neighborhood. Federal agents claimed Martinez chased and rammed her car into an agent's vehicle. Martinez was initially charged with assault on federal law enforcement, but the government dropped the charges nearly two months later, and a judge dismissed them with prejudice. Body camera footage and text messages released by the U.S. attorney's office provided details of the incident, though Exum was not wearing his body camera during the shooting. Martinez testified before Congress in February 2026 about the incident and filed a tort claim seeking damages for her injuries.
Timeline
Sources
- Body camera video and texts reveal details of Border Patrol agent's shooting of Chicago woman
NBC News·Feb 11, 2026·archived copy
- Body camera footage of Chicago Border Patrol shooting finally released
CNN·Feb 12, 2026·archived copy
- Video and text messages from Border Patrol agent’s shooting of a Chicago woman are released
CNN·Feb 11, 2026·archived copy
- CBS News
- Border Patrol takes lead role in Trump administration
- PBS
- The Preschool Teaching Assistant Shot by Border Patrol, Then Called a “Domestic Terrorist”
The New Yorker·Mar 12, 2026·archived copy
- Federal prosecutors move to dismiss charges against woman shot by Border Patrol agent in Chicago
Associated Press·Nov 20, 2025·archived copy
- Marimar Martinez, who was shot by U.S. Border Patrol in Chicago, testifies on Capitol Hill
- CBS News
- ICE would need more money to expand use of bodycams in Chicago crackdown, official says
mynbc5.com·Oct 21, 2025·archived copy
- Bovino’s back: Border Patrol commander leads fresh round of immigration raids in Chicago area
WBEZ·Dec 16, 2025·archived copy
- Immigrant Father Of 3 Reunites With Family After Being Unlawfully Arrested During Midway Blitz
blockclubchicago.org·Feb 24, 2026·archived copy
- What to know about immigration enforcement raids in Chicago
develop.chicagotribune.com·Jan 5, 2026·archived copy
preprod.chicagotribune.com·Jan 5, 2026·archived copy
- Border Patrol agents shoot woman in Chicago as protesters confront immigration personnel
Yahoo News·Oct 4, 2025·archived copy
- Protester shot in Chicago by border patrol agents who claim they were 'ambushed' by convoy
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