Border Agent Who Shot Woman Bragged on His Marksmanship
An ICE officer watches protesters as a Lenco BearCat vehicle drives to the scene in the Brighton Park neighborhood of Chicago, on Oct. 4 after protesters learned that a Border Patrol agent shot a woman. (Anthony Vazquez/Chicago Sun-Times via AP)
A U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) agent who shot a Chicago woman during a vehicle collision last month is under investigation after text messages surfaced showing him boasting about his marksmanship.
Agent Charles Exum shot Marimar Martinez five times on October 4 in the city’s Brighton Park neighborhood, according to Reuters. Exum claims Martinez struck his vehicle, while Martinez insists it was Exum who rammed hers. Prosecutors say the shooting was in self-defense.
Martinez—who had reportedly been warning local residents about immigration agents operating in the area—was later indicted along with Anthony Ian Santos Ruiz on charges of impeding a federal officer with a deadly weapon, identified as her car, ABC News reports.
During a Wednesday hearing, prosecutors introduced messages Exum sent in a group chat with fellow CBP agents shortly after the incident. In one message, he wrote, “I fired 5 rounds and she had 7 holes. Put that in your book boys.” In another, he shared a news story about the shooting and added, “Read it. 5 shots, 7 holes.”
When questioned about the comments, Exum—who also serves as a firearms instructor—said he was proud of his shooting accuracy, according to Reuters.
The hearing also revealed irregularities surrounding the handling of Exum’s government-issued vehicle after the shooting. Instead of being secured for evidence, Exum drove the vehicle from Chicago to Maine, where it was repaired by a CBP mechanic before defense attorneys had the opportunity to inspect it.
Government officials said the FBI had taken photos and paint samples from the vehicle before returning it to Exum. However, defense lawyers questioned the decision to release the vehicle and whether Exum should have recognized the need to preserve it as evidence. Exum stated he believed preservation was unnecessary because the FBI had already cleared it for release.
The shooting took place amid a Trump administration immigration enforcement surge in Chicago, part of President Trump’s broader effort to strengthen federal border operations nationwide. The incident triggered protests at the scene, during which agents deployed tear gas to disperse demonstrators.
At an earlier court hearing, Martinez’s attorney said body-camera footage captured Exum taunting her before opening fire. The investigation into the shooting and Exum’s conduct remains ongoing.
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