Chicago Woman Shot 5 Times by Border Patrol Agent Files Federal Lawsuit

Marimar Martinez, a 30-year-old U.S. citizen, filed a federal lawsuit on October 6, 2026, against the Department of Homeland Security, alleging that Customs and Border Protection agent Charles Exum shot her five times without justification during "Operation Midway Blitz" on October 4, 2025, in Chicago's southwest side.

According to Martinez's account and her legal team's analysis, she was driving in her neighborhood when she noticed immigration officers and followed them while honking her horn and shouting warnings. She stated that the Border Patrol vehicle swerved into and struck her truck first. When agent Exum exited his vehicle and pointed a gun at her, Martinez said she attempted to drive away. She was then shot, sustaining seven gunshot wounds total.

Martin's attorneys commissioned ballistic experts who determined that Exum was not in the path of her vehicle when he opened fire. They allege he walked several feet toward her car and fired five shots in less than a second, with the final shot fired from behind her vehicle. The lawyers presented evidence showing only three bullet holes in the windshield on the right passenger side—inconsistent with Exum's statement to the FBI that she was driving directly at him. Body-worn camera footage from another agent in Exum's vehicle captured agents saying it was "time to get aggressive" before the shooting, according to the lawsuit.

Initially, federal prosecutors charged Martinez with assaulting federal agents by using her vehicle to strike and box in Exum's SUV. However, prosecutors dropped all charges one month after the shooting in a dramatic reversal. The Department of Homeland Security had labeled her a domestic terrorist. The lawsuit was filed under the Federal Tort Claims Act, which does not allow individual agents to be named as defendants. Exum has been placed on administrative leave. The suit seeks accountability and transparency regarding the shooting.