OSINT Dossier: Marimar Martinez - Border Patrol Shooting¶

Date of Research: February 5, 2026 (updated February 12, 2026)
Published by: Mortui Vivos Docent Intelligence Project
Subject: Marimar Martinez - Shot five times by Border Patrol Agent Charles Exum
Type: officer-involved-shooting / survivor
Confidence: HIGH

Executive Summary¶

On October 4, 2025, Marimar Martinez, a 30-year-old U.S. citizen and Montessori school teaching assistant, was shot five times by U.S. Border Patrol Supervisory Agent Charles Exum during immigration enforcement operations in the Brighton Park neighborhood of Chicago. She suffered seven wounds to her arm, chest, and both legs. She survived, but as of February 2026, she still cannot close her right hand around a pen and is in daily pain requiring weekly physical therapy. Her body, she testified to Congress, is "permanently disfigured by the five lead bullets Exum fired into her."

The shooting occurred during "Operation Midway Blitz," a massive immigration enforcement campaign in the Chicago area led by CBP Commander Gregory Bovino. DHS immediately labeled Martinez a "domestic terrorist" who had "ambushed" agents and rammed their vehicle. She was charged with assaulting federal officers and taken into FBI custody directly from the hospital.

The government's narrative collapsed within weeks. Body-worn camera footage showed agents in the Chevrolet Tahoe saying "it's time to get aggressive" seconds before the collision, and Agent Exum appeared to turn his steering wheel toward Martinez's car. Exum bragged in text messages to other agents: "I fired 5 rounds and she had 7 holes. Put that in your book boys." He wrote that he was "up for another round of fuck around and find out." CBP Commander Gregory Bovino praised Exum for his "excellent service" hours after the shooting. Exum's text messages revealed references to support from Bovino, Border Patrol Chief Michael Banks, DHS Secretary Kristi Noem, and what his attorney identified as President Trump ("El Jefe").

On November 20, 2025, federal prosecutors dismissed all charges against Martinez with prejudice -- meaning they can never be refiled -- hours before a hearing where additional damaging texts were expected to be revealed. The government later admitted in court that Martinez was not "ramming" their car. Evidence of tampering emerged: Exum had been allowed to drive the evidence vehicle over 1,000 miles to Maine, where a Border Patrol mechanic attempted to "wipe off" scuff marks from the crash.

On February 10-11, 2026, a federal judge lifted the protective order on evidence, allowing Martinez's attorneys to release a trove of materials including body camera footage, surveillance video, text messages, and photographs. The evidence showed agents' own diagram of the scene was contradicted by surveillance footage. A civil lawsuit (Federal Tort Claims Act) was filed against DHS and Exum. CBP, for the first time, confirmed Exum has been placed on administrative leave.

Martinez testified before Congress on February 3, 2026, telling lawmakers: "My own government attempted to execute me." She attended Trump's State of the Union address. She has become one of the most prominent survivor-advocates in the movement against DHS use-of-force abuses.

1. VICTIM PROFILE¶

Marimar Martinez¶

Field	Detail
Full Name	Marimar Martinez
Age	30 years old
Citizenship	U.S. citizen
Residence	Chicago, Illinois (Brighton Park area)
Occupation	Teaching assistant at a Montessori school
Criminal History	No prior criminal record
Date of Shooting	October 4, 2025
Location	Near 39th Street and Kedzie Avenue, Brighton Park, Chicago
Wounds	5 shots, 7 wounds (right arm, chest, both legs)
Current Medical Status	Cannot close right hand over a pen; daily pain; weekly physical therapy; permanently disfigured
Legal Status	Criminal charges dismissed WITH PREJUDICE (November 20, 2025); civil lawsuit filed (February 2026)

Context at Time of Incident:
Martinez was driving in her neighborhood when she observed a Border Patrol vehicle and began to follow it to warn others in the community of federal immigration enforcement presence. She has stated she was on her way to drop off a donation of clothes to her local church. Civilian monitoring of federal enforcement was common during Operation Midway Blitz.

2. INCIDENT TIMELINE¶

October 4, 2025 -- The Shooting¶

Location: Near 39th Street (Pershing Road) and Kedzie Avenue, Brighton Park, Chicago

Phase 1: Surveillance and Pursuit
- Martinez was driving in Brighton Park when she spotted a CBP vehicle
- She began following it to alert neighbors to federal enforcement activity
- Co-defendant Anthony Ian Santos Ruiz (21) was also in the area as part of a civilian monitoring group

Phase 2: Escalation (captured on body camera)
- Agents inside the Chevrolet Tahoe are heard on body camera saying: "It's time to get aggressive" and "We're going to make contact, we're boxed in"
- Agent heard saying "Do something, b----" before pulling over
- Surveillance footage from nearby contradicts agents' claim of being "boxed in" -- no vehicles were stacked in front of the Tahoe as agents later depicted in a hand-drawn diagram

Phase 3: The Collision
- Body camera footage shows Agent Charles Exum appearing to turn his steering wheel to the left, toward Martinez's car, immediately before the collision
- DHS initially claimed Martinez rammed the agents' vehicle
- Government later admitted in court that Martinez was not "ramming" their car
- After the collision, Martinez stopped her vehicle, then accelerated away, swerving left to avoid agents exiting their vehicle

Phase 4: The Shooting
- Agent Exum exited the vehicle and fired five rounds at Martinez as she drove away from agents, not toward them
- Martinez was struck seven times: right arm, right leg, left leg, and chest area
- She lost control of her right hand as her fingers went stiff
- She felt her body grow warm and light-headed
- She touched her side, looked down, and saw her hand full of blood

Phase 5: Immediate Aftermath
- Martinez discharged from hospital after less than three hours
- Taken immediately into FBI custody
- Agent Exum took a cell phone photograph of her at the hospital without her consent, over her objections
- DHS publicly labeled her a "domestic terrorist" who "ambushed" agents

3. AGENT CHARLES EXUM¶

Background¶

Field	Detail
Name	Charles Exum
Title	Supervisory Border Patrol Agent
Home Base	Maine (deployed to Chicago for Operation Midway Blitz)
Current Status	Placed on administrative leave (confirmed by CBP spokesperson February 11, 2026)
Discipline History	Never suspended prior to this incident (per his own testimony)

Text Messages (entered into Congressional record)¶

Signal group chat with other agents:

"I fired 5 rounds and she had 7 holes. Put that in your book boys"

Separate message sharing news article about shooting:

"Read it. 5 shots, 7 holes."

Additional message:

"Up for another round of fuck around and find out"

Regarding superiors' support:
- Referenced support from CBP Commander Gregory Bovino, Border Patrol Chief Michael Banks, DHS Secretary Kristi Noem
- Used the term "El Jefe" -- which his attorney identified as a reference to President Trump
- Wrote "Big time" regarding superiors' support

Testimony on text messages:
When asked in court testimony about his text messages, Exum stated that reading them gave him a "feeling of pride" in the shooting.

Sworn testimony excerpt (read into Congressional record):

Q: Your job is to shoot people?
A: No, sir.
Q: And then what does the 'LMAO' mean?
A: Laugh my ass off.
Q: Have you been suspended by the Border Patrol?
A: Never.

Body Camera¶

Exum's own body camera was not activated at the time of the shooting. Only a separate agent's body camera and nearby surveillance cameras captured footage.

CBP Commander Gregory Bovino¶

Hours after the shooting, Border Patrol Commander Gregory Bovino sent Exum an email praising him for his "excellent service in Chicago" and offering to "extend your retirement beyond age 57."

Bovino was the face of Operation Midway Blitz in Chicago and was later the target of a murder-for-hire plot (a separate case going to trial, with defendant Juan Espinoza Martinez accused of offering a $10,000 bounty on Bovino).

4. EVIDENCE ISSUES¶

Vehicle Evidence Tampering¶

The Problem:
After the shooting, Agent Exum was allowed to drive his Chevrolet Tahoe -- a key piece of evidence -- more than 1,000 miles from Chicago to his home base in Maine.

Government's Shifting Story:
1. Initially told the court: Exum took the SUV to Maine because it was his "personal vehicle"
2. Later filing: The car is actually part of the official Border Patrol fleet
3. Judge noted she had not been informed a mechanic had worked on the car

Maine Mechanic:
- A Border Patrol mechanic in Maine attempted to "wipe off" scuff marks from the crash
- Government claimed no actual repairs or alterations were made
- Defense argued this potentially destroyed evidence of the crash dynamics

Body Camera Footage Contradictions¶

What footage shows:
- Agents saying "it's time to get aggressive" and "we're going to make contact"
- Exum appearing to steer toward Martinez's vehicle
- Agent saying "Do something, b----" before the incident

What DHS claimed:
- Martinez rammed agents
- Agents were "boxed in"
- Martinez drove at agents

Surveillance Video vs. Agent Diagram:
- One agent drew a diagram depicting three vehicles stacked in front of the agents' SUV before the shooting
- Nearby surveillance footage shows no cars were there at the time
- Martinez's attorney characterized this as evidence agents "lied about being boxed in"

DHS Labeling as "Domestic Terrorist"¶

On the DHS website, Martinez continues to be described as a "domestic terrorist" who "ambushed" agents -- even after charges were dismissed with prejudice and the government admitted she did not ram their vehicle. The judge noted the administration showed "zero concern about the sullying of Ms. Martinez's reputation."

5. LEGAL PROCEEDINGS¶

Criminal Case (October-November 2025)¶

Original Charges (October 2025):
- Assaulting, impeding, and interfering with federal law enforcement officers
- Co-defendant: Anthony Ian Santos Ruiz (21)

Charges Dismissed (November 20, 2025):
- Dismissed WITH PREJUDICE -- cannot be refiled
- U.S. Attorney Andrew Boutros and Assistant U.S. Attorney Ronald Bond filed the motion
- Dismissal came hours before a hearing where additional damaging text messages were expected
- Judge Georgia Alexakis granted the motion

Context of Dismissal:
The government's case collapsed as evidence emerged contradicting its narrative. The body camera footage, Exum's bragging text messages, evidence tampering with the vehicle, and surveillance video all undermined the prosecution's position. The with-prejudice dismissal indicates prosecutors concluded their case was not viable.

Civil Lawsuit (February 2026)¶

Filed: On or around February 11, 2026
Type: Federal Tort Claims Act complaint
Defendants: Department of Homeland Security and Agent Charles Exum
Seeking: Multi-million dollar damages
Attorneys: Martinez's legal team released trove of evidence at press conference

Evidence Release (February 6-11, 2026)¶

February 6: Federal Judge Georgia Alexakis ruled to lift the protective order on evidence, allowing Martinez and her attorneys to share materials with the public. The judge noted that the order had prevented Martinez from defending herself against a "pernicious misinformation campaign" by the government.

February 10-11: Evidence released publicly, including:
- Body-worn camera footage
- Surveillance video from nearby cameras
- Agent text messages
- Photographs
- Agent-drawn scene diagrams
- Internal communications showing Bovino's praise

Related Development: Another Operation Midway Blitz protest case evaporated in federal court on February 11, 2026, part of a pattern of collapsed Midway Blitz prosecutions.

6. CONGRESSIONAL TESTIMONY¶

February 3, 2026 -- Capitol Hill¶

Forum: Public forum on violent use of force by DHS agents
Location: Dirksen Senate Office Building
Organized by: Democratic members of Congress including Sen. Richard Blumenthal

Martinez's Key Statements:

"My own government attempted to execute me"

"Evidence from these operations, including statements made under oath, reveals a pattern of misleading the public"

"I am their voice" (referring to Renee Good and Alex Pretti, killed by federal agents)

Medical Testimony:
- Still cannot close her right hand over a pen
- In significant pain when trying to play with children at her school
- Weekly physical therapy sessions
- Body "permanently disfigured by the five lead bullets"
- "What happened to her in seconds on October 4 will unfortunately be with her for a lifetime"

Her Demands:
1. Federal agents held accountable
2. Apology for being shot
3. Trump administration acknowledge she is "not a domestic terrorist"

Connection to Other Cases:
- Testified alongside brothers of Renee Good (killed January 7, 2026 by ICE Agent Ross)
- Referenced Alex Pretti (killed January 24, 2026 by CBP agents)
- Stated: "I am their voice"

State of the Union¶

Martinez planned to and attended President Donald Trump's State of the Union address in February 2026, continuing her public advocacy role.

7. PATTERN ANALYSIS¶

Operation Midway Blitz¶

Martinez's shooting is one of a series of controversial incidents during Operation Midway Blitz, a DHS immigration enforcement campaign in the Chicago area:

Date	Incident	Outcome
Sep 12, 2025	Silverio Villegas Gonzalez shot and killed, Franklin Park	ME ruled homicide; no charges
Oct 4, 2025	Marimar Martinez shot 5 times, Brighton Park	Charges dismissed; civil suit filed
Multiple dates	Protest cases brought against civilians	Multiple cases collapsed in court

Common Patterns Across Midway Blitz Shootings:
1. DHS claims victim drove at agents ("weaponized vehicle")
2. Body camera and/or surveillance contradicts DHS narrative
3. Victim had no criminal record or only minor traffic violations
4. Agent body cameras not activated during actual shooting
5. Medical examiner rules homicide (Villegas) or charges dismissed (Martinez)
6. No accountability for agents

"Weaponized Vehicle" Justification¶

DHS consistently uses the claim that civilians "weaponized" their vehicles to justify shootings. In every documented case from 2025-2026, this claim has been contradicted by evidence:

Case	DHS Claim	Evidence Shows
Martinez (Oct 2025)	"Rammed agents"	Agent steered into her; she drove away
Villegas Gonzalez (Sep 2025)	"Dragged agent significant distance"	Agent said injuries "nothing major"
Renee Good (Jan 2026)	"Struck agent with vehicle"	Under investigation

Agent Conduct Culture¶

Exum's text messages reveal a culture of celebration around use of force:
- Bragging about shots and wounds in group chats
- "Fuck around and find out" mentality
- Superiors praising agents after shootings
- Taking trophy-style photographs of victims
- No apparent fear of discipline or consequences

8. CURRENT STATUS (as of February 12, 2026)¶

Criminal Case Against Martinez: CLOSED -- charges dismissed with prejudice

Agent Exum:
- Placed on administrative leave (confirmed February 11, 2026)
- No criminal charges filed
- No indication of DHS internal discipline beyond administrative leave
- Timeline of when leave began is unclear -- for five months after the shooting, federal officials did not disclose any leave status

Civil Lawsuit: Filed, seeking multi-million dollar damages

DHS Website: Still labels Martinez a "domestic terrorist" who "ambushed" agents

Martinez's Advocacy:
- Testified before Congress
- Attended State of the Union
- Filed civil lawsuit
- Became lead voice connecting her case to Renee Good and Alex Pretti killings
- Working with Illinois Accountability Commission, which signaled it would seek prosecution referrals

Illinois Accountability Commission:
Tasked with gathering evidence and making recommendations about misconduct of federal agents; signaled it would seek to make referrals for prosecution related to the Martinez shooting

9. CRITICAL QUESTIONS¶

Why was Agent Exum allowed to drive the evidence vehicle 1,000 miles to Maine? Who authorized this? Was it deliberate obstruction?
Will Exum face criminal charges? The Illinois Accountability Commission has signaled prosecution referrals. Will federal or state prosecutors act?
Why did prosecutors dismiss charges hours before damaging evidence was expected? Was the timing designed to minimize public exposure of the evidence?
Why was Exum not placed on administrative leave for five months? DHS placed agents on leave after the Alex Pretti shooting as "standard procedure" but did not do so for Martinez. Why the different treatment?
Will DHS retract the "domestic terrorist" label? The judge noted "zero concern" about Martinez's reputation. Will the administration remove false characterizations from official websites?
What is the full chain of command approval? Exum's texts reference Bovino, Banks, Noem, and "El Jefe." Who approved the narrative labeling Martinez a domestic terrorist? Was it directed from the top?
Has the "trophy photo" been preserved? Exum took a cell phone photo of Martinez at the hospital over her objections. Where is this photo? Has it been shared?
What other Operation Midway Blitz cases have collapsed? How many prosecutions from Midway Blitz have been dismissed or resulted in acquittal?

10. SOURCES¶

Evidence Release and Lawsuit (February 2026)¶

Agent Exum and Evidence¶

Original Charges and Dismissal (October-November 2025)¶

Evidence Tampering¶

Congressional Testimony¶

Initial Shooting Coverage¶

Broader Pattern¶

FINAL ASSESSMENT¶

Overall Confidence: HIGH

Confirmed (multiple independent sources, court records, body camera footage):
- Marimar Martinez, 30, U.S. citizen, Montessori teaching assistant, shot 5 times (7 wounds) on October 4, 2025
- Agent Charles Exum fired the shots during Operation Midway Blitz
- Body camera shows agents saying "it's time to get aggressive" before collision
- Exum appeared to steer toward Martinez's vehicle on body camera
- Exum texted "I fired 5 rounds and she had 7 holes. Put that in your book boys"
- Exum expressed "feeling of pride" about the shooting in sworn testimony
- CBP Commander Bovino praised Exum hours after the shooting
- DHS labeled Martinez a "domestic terrorist" -- label remains on DHS website
- Government admitted in court Martinez was not ramming their vehicle
- Evidence vehicle driven 1,000+ miles to Maine; mechanic attempted to wipe scuff marks
- Agents' diagram of the scene contradicted by surveillance footage
- Charges dismissed WITH PREJUDICE on November 20, 2025
- Martinez still cannot close her right hand; in daily pain; permanent disfigurement
- Testified before Congress February 3, 2026
- Civil lawsuit filed February 2026
- Exum placed on administrative leave (confirmed February 11, 2026, after 5 months of no reported action)

Significance:

This case is the most thoroughly documented example of the DHS pattern of false narratives, use-of-force excess, and institutional impunity during the 2025-2026 immigration enforcement campaign. The combination of body camera footage, surveillance video, text messages, sworn testimony, and a with-prejudice dismissal creates an evidence record of extraordinary clarity. The agent bragged. The commander praised. The government lied. The charges collapsed. The victim is permanently disabled.

What distinguishes this case is that Martinez survived to testify. Unlike Silverio Villegas Gonzalez, Renee Good, or Alex Pretti, she is alive to tell her story -- and she has done so before Congress, before the public, and now before the courts.

Published by Mortui Vivos Docent Intelligence Project
Methodology: Bellingcat-standard OSINT -- public sources only