In a tense incident over the weekend, federal prosecutors have officially filed felony assault charges against a woman who was shot by U.S. Border Patrol agents on the Southwest Side. This confrontation ignited a significant protest, drawing around 100 demonstrators to the scene. A statement from the Department of Homeland Security revealed that the woman allegedly rammed her vehicle into a federal agent's vehicle, prompting agents to respond with what they described as “defensive fire.” Following the incident, the woman was hospitalized but has since been discharged into the custody of the FBI.
The charges, filed on Sunday morning, allege that 30-year-old Marimar Martinez and 21-year-old Anthony Ian Santos Ruiz were part of a civilian “convoy” that aggressively pursued federal agents involved in a security detail for a Customs and Border Protection operation. According to an eight-page criminal complaint, the civilian vehicles were reported to have driven erratically, violating traffic signals and engaging in dangerous maneuvers in an effort to tail the federal agents.
As the confrontation escalated near 39th Street and Kedzie Avenue, the civilian vehicles allegedly boxed in the federal agents. Martinez's vehicle made contact with one of the agents' vehicles, while Ruiz's vehicle struck the rear of the federal vehicle. In response, agents exited their vehicle, and Martinez reportedly drove towards one of the agents. This prompted the agent to fire approximately five shots from his service weapon at her vehicle, according to the charges. Despite being shot at, Martinez continued driving north on Kedzie Avenue.
Following the shooting, Ruiz attempted to flee the scene by backing up his car and driving to a nearby gas station, where he was subsequently arrested. Paramedics later located Martinez at a repair shop approximately one mile from the incident site, where she received treatment for gunshot wounds. The charges against them include allegations that the pair “forcibly assaulted, resisted, opposed, impeded, intimidated, and interfered with an officer of the United States.” Notably, the charges do not mention whether Martinez was found in possession of a firearm, despite a separate statement from the Department of Homeland Security indicating otherwise.
Relatives of Martinez conveyed to the Sun-Times that she is currently in federal custody and is recovering, though they have opted to defer further comments to their legal representatives, who were unavailable for immediate contact. In a related political development, the White House confirmed on Saturday that it had authorized the deployment of National Guard troops to Illinois, a move that met with opposition from Governor JB Pritzker.
In response to the shooting, Pritzker expressed concern over the lack of transparent information surrounding the incident. During a CNN appearance, he remarked on the typical response from ICE, which often includes issuing press releases before any comprehensive investigation or reporting can take place. He highlighted a recent shooting incident involving ICE in Franklin Park, where initial claims by law enforcement were later contradicted by evidence, raising questions about the reliability of official narratives.
As of now, Mayor Brandon Johnson has not issued any public comments regarding the shooting. He attended an event on Sunday morning honoring Bishop Larry D. Trotter but chose not to address the incident or speak to reporters afterward.
