Two Charged After Border Patrol Shooting in Chicago

Federal prosecutors have charged two individuals following a confrontation with U.S. Border Patrol agents in Chicago's Brighton Park neighborhood, resulting in one suspect being shot.

According to the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), the incident occurred when a convoy of civilian vehicles, including those driven by Marimar Martinez, 30, and Anthony Ian Santos Ruiz, 21, aggressively pursued and boxed in a federal vehicle near West 39th Street and South Kedzie Avenue. The criminal complaint alleges that the civilian vehicles disobeyed traffic signals and drove against traffic to intercept the agents.

DHS reports that Martinez's vehicle sideswiped the federal agents' car, while Ruiz's vehicle struck its rear. Agents exited their vehicle, at which point Martinez allegedly drove toward one of them. In response, an agent fired approximately five shots at Martinez, who then fled the scene. She was later found at a repair shop about a mile away and treated at a hospital for gunshot wounds before being discharged into FBI custody.

Ruiz was apprehended at a nearby gas station shortly after the incident. Both Martinez and Ruiz have been charged with assaulting, impeding, and interfering with federal law enforcement officers.

The incident has sparked protests in the area, with demonstrators clashing with federal agents at the scene. The White House confirmed the authorization of National Guard troops to Illinois, a move opposed by Governor J.B. Pritzker. When asked about the shooting, Pritzker stated that details were still emerging and criticized the dissemination of information by federal agencies prior to full investigations.

Mayor Brandon Johnson's office has not commented on the incident. Johnson attended an event honoring Bishop Larry D. Trotter but did not address the shooting and left without speaking to reporters.