By MES Dispatch staff
The Briefing
• New body-worn camera footage and related evidence were released Tuesday showing moments before a U.S. Customs and Border Protection agent shot a Chicago woman last October.
• The incident occurred Oct. 4, 2025, in the Brighton Park neighborhood when Border Patrol Agent Charles Exum shot 30-year-old Marimar Martinez multiple times; federal prosecutors later dropped all charges against her.
• Video from another agent’s camera shows Border Patrol agents in a vehicle with weapons drawn and audio of agents saying they were “boxed in” before a collision and the shooting.
• A federal judge ordered the release of the footage and text messages that include messages from the agent about firing rounds; Martinez plans a civil lawsuit.
CHICAGO, IL — Federal officials released body-worn camera footage Tuesday showing the moments leading up to a Border Patrol agent’s shooting of a Chicago woman during an immigration enforcement operation on Oct. 4, 2025.
The footage and related evidence were made public after a federal judge lifted a protective order, enabling law enforcement video and internal messages to be released.
U.S. Customs and Border Protection Agent Charles Exum shot 30-year-old Marimar Martinez five times in the Brighton Park neighborhood, authorities said. Federal prosecutors later dropped all criminal charges against Martinez, and she has announced plans to pursue a civil lawsuit against the Department of Homeland Security.
Video from another agent’s body camera shows Border Patrol agents in their vehicle with weapons drawn and an agent heard saying they were “boxed in” before the vehicle collided with Martinez’s car, according to the released recordings. Exum’s own camera was not activated at the moment of the shooting.
Internal text messages released with the footage include comments by Exum about firing rounds, and showed subsequent praise from Border Patrol leadership, according to court filings.
The U.S. Attorney’s Office and DHS have confirmed the shooting is under review by the National Use of Force Review Board, and additional inquiries are ongoing.