Border Patrol Agent’s Boastful Texts Revealed in Chicago Shooting Case Hearing
CHICAGO, Nov 6: A federal hearing in Chicago on Wednesday revealed that a U.S. Border Patrol agent who shot a woman multiple times last month had bragged about his marksmanship in text messages sent shortly after the incident.
Court records showed that U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) Agent Charles Exum exchanged messages with fellow agents, boasting about the shooting of Marimar Martinez, a Chicago resident and U.S. citizen, who was hit five times on October 4. The shooting occurred after a collision between their vehicles in the Brighton Park neighborhood, where Martinez had been warning others about immigration enforcement activities.
Exum claimed that Martinez struck his government-issued Chevy Tahoe, prompting him to fire in self-defense. Federal prosecutors have maintained that narrative, while Martinez’s defense argues that Exum’s actions were excessive and unjustified.
Martinez and another man, Anthony Ian Santos Ruiz, were both indicted on October 10 on federal charges of impeding a federal officer with a deadly weapon, identified as Martinez’s vehicle. Both defendants have since been released on bond.
During the hearing, defense attorney Christopher Parente presented text messages Exum sent in a Signal group chat with other agents, in which he wrote:
“I fired 5 rounds and she had 7 holes. Put that in your book, boys.”
Exum also texted another contact a link to a news article about the incident, adding:
“Read it. 5 shots, 7 holes.”
When questioned about the messages, Exum told the court, “I’m a firearms instructor, and I take pride in my shooting skills.”
The hearing also raised serious questions about the handling of Exum’s vehicle, which was repaired before defense teams could inspect it.
Exum testified that following the shooting, the FBI photographed and collected paint samples from his Tahoe at its Chicago office before releasing it back to him on the same day. He then drove the vehicle more than 1,000 miles to his duty station in Calais, Maine, where a CBP mechanic later performed repairs, including buffing out black marks from the collision.
An email from Exum’s supervisor, Kevin Kellenberger, presented as evidence, stated that he had authorized the repairs. However, FBI interview records appeared to contradict that account, showing that Exum himself had requested the repairs. Exum dismissed the inconsistency as a “mistake” by the interviewing agent.
Defense lawyers argued that as an experienced federal officer, Exum should have known the vehicle could serve as critical evidence and should have preserved it. Exum responded that because the FBI released the vehicle without restrictions, he assumed it was no longer required as evidence.
The shooting triggered protests in the Brighton Park neighborhood, where agents used tear gas to disperse crowds.
The incident occurred amid heightened immigration enforcement operations across the Chicago area, part of the Trump administration’s “Operation Midway Blitz,” which began in September.
The case continues to raise questions about federal oversight, evidence handling, and the conduct of immigration enforcement officers in civilian areas.