An American citizen, Marimar Martinez, has filed a lawsuit against the federal government after being shot by a Customs and Border Protection (CBP) agent during an immigration operation in Chicago. The incident occurred on October 4, 2025, when agent Charles Exum accused Martinez of attempting to hit his vehicle. Following the shooting, Martinez sustained seven gunshot wounds.
Initially, federal prosecutors charged Martinez, but these charges were dropped a month later. Her legal team argues that Exum’s account of the incident was false, claiming he fired from behind her vehicle and that forensic analysis indicates she was not driving towards him.
Martinez’s attorneys highlighted discrepancies in Exum’s testimony and evidence suggesting he acted inappropriately. They also reported that body-camera footage captured agents expressing a desire for aggressive enforcement tactics during the operation.
The lawsuit contends that Exum acted improperly and that incidents like this reflect problematic patterns during the Trump administration’s immigration strategies. Martinez stated her motivation for filing the lawsuit was to seek justice and advocate for others affected by similar violence. Exum has been placed on administrative leave pending the investigation of the incident.
