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Chicago woman shot five times by Border Patrol agent, case dismissed

Feb 11, 2026 · 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

Feb 11, 2026Body camera footage and text messages released by U.S. attorney's office; Martinez testified before Congress about incident
Nov 2025Government dropped assault charges against Martinez; federal judge dismissed charges with prejudice
Oct 4, 2025Marimar Martinez shot five times by Border Patrol agent Charles Exum during immigration enforcement encounter in Chicago

Sources

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