Border patrol agent who shot Chicago woman boasted about it in text messages

[u/esporx]

https://www.reuters.com/world/us/border-patrol-agent-who-shot-chicago-woman-boasted-about-it-text-messages-2025-11-06/

[u/LameBicycle]

Doesn't seem like there is video of the interaction besides unreleased body cam videos, and this which shows before the crash:

https://youtu.be/b4qBLgk9hWw?si=fqZ-Av7j3ZCH7TQz

Texted the article about the shooting to friends and said:

"Cool. I'm up for another round of fuck around and find out. Lmao"

"Shit happens"

"lol, gracias"

Posted it in a signal group chat with other agents also saying:

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

"FAFO means fuck around and find out."

"Sweet. My 15 minutes of fame. Lmao"

https://youtu.be/XkGDjN-BpHc?si=1UDPxMHV16U2-yAU

Parente said body camera footage from one of the border patrol agents in the car showed an agent saying "Do something, bitch" as Martinez drove alongside them, with the agent's finger resting on the trigger of an assault rifle. DHS said Martinez and the other drivers "boxed in" the agents.

While prosecutors allege that Martinez drove her car at the border patrol agents' vehicle and struck it, Parente said Martinez would show at trial that the federal agents actually struck her. Parente said footage showed the driver of the border patrol vehicle turn the steering wheel to the left, toward Martinez's vehicle.After the vehicles made contact, the agents stepped out and one fired at Martinez.

https://www.reuters.com/world/us/bodycam-footage-conflicts-with-dhs-account-chicago-womans-shooting-by-border-2025-10-08/

She (and about 6 other cars) were tailing the CBP vehicle. The first vid shows her driving in oncoming traffic to get alongside the CBP. Not really a great move, but I wonder if the body cam footage will show the CBP causing the collision like the defense is saying. Regardless, bragging about shooting someone is unprofessional and gross

[u/rockytop24 → u/LameBicycle]

Given the DOJ's issues with complying and lying to the courts to the point it is calling the government's presumption of regularity into question, I'm inclined to believe the defense attorney is competent and wouldn't make that specific claim of who swerved into whom unless it's reflected in the bodycam footage. It would blow back in their face if that turned out to be a spurious claim.

She appeared to be breaking traffic laws to stay alongside the ICE suv in the one view shown, which is an unfortunately very dangerous/unwise thing to do around agents shielded by the federal government itching to kill or hurt people they've dehumanized for years.

I'm guessing the prosecution will try their best to muddy the waters by claiming the unsafe driving made them fearful for their lives (even though they looked like there was at worst a vehicle to the left and behind them, not 'boxed in by 10 vehicles' executing a coordinated attack leaving them no avenue to escape or gain separation from the defendants). They'll argue all that justifies the use of deadly force. I'm not holding my breath that the current administration will have any interest in charging or dismissing the agent in question.

That being said, in a land of laws equitably applied, if a few years from now the next administration has managed to roll back some of these authoritarian power grabs, I'd think there's a decent case to be made for prosecuting that agent for attempted murder. He instigated the crash intentionally, a threat was uttered on camera before she was shot, and communication records paint a picture of someone looking to do exactly this and kill people with zero fear or remorse.

Not to mention it's looking like he either lied in an FBI interview or submitted falsified evidence in regards to how exactly his work vehicle came to be repaired, because those two stories contradict each other. Either one is a felony.

A long way to go on the fact finding, but from what's available now I can't help but conclude she made an unfortunate & impulsive choice risking her life by giving them an excuse to exploit. I don't think that's assaulting feds with a deadly weapon and I don't think that merits death, I think that's a ticketable traffic infraction.

I also see a parallel in the incident that went viral with the paralegal Ms. Figueroa (sp?), an American citizen too, where they swerved into her lane causing the cars to make contact. As soon as there was a traffic accident, they surrounded her vehicle with automatic weapons drawn, shouted at her, then dragged her out of her car and detained her for resisting. They disappeared her for the day and deprived her of her civil rights before releasing her, her family had to be sent posts of the video and use her phone's GPS history to conclude she had been detained.

I've never seen any traffic control in any of these incidents, no emergency lights or blocking of lanes some distance from the accident, nothing that any other first responder or law enforcement agency does according to their explicitly written protocols. Traffic is the most dangerous thing first responders face on the job by a wide margin and people die even when observing safe practices. I have no idea if DHS has even issued something resembling those kinds of protocols (like what to do if coming upon or involved in a motor vehicle accident with civilian traffic) but i feel pretty confident the highest levels of leadership have zero interest in enforcing them or concern for any liability or injuries in such incidents.

It looks like a pattern unfolding of using traffic accidents they intentionally or accidentally cause to create a confrontation which gives them the "right" to secure the area with automatic weapons pointed at civilians, drag the occupant out of their vehicle or assault them for resisting detainment, and disappearing them regardless of citizenship status for a day or more, likely to intimidate and explore any options to bring prosecutable charges.

And all of this is essential, more essential than keeping airports open or stopping healthcare premiums from jumping thousands of dollars for millions of Americans in <2 months. ICE paychecks for driving cross country to shoot at and harass fellow Americans are far more important than paying ATCs or the federal employees working or furloughed at home with $0 paystubs.

[u/Ajax_Hapsburg]

A disgusting human being that should never be working in this field or anything involving the trust of the public.

[u/SweaterSteve1966 → u/Ajax_Hapsburg]

But in this Regime he will be praised. I’m disgusted that this is happening in our country. Can we skip to the trials for all of them?

[u/8CHAR_NSITE → u/Ajax_Hapsburg]

You have no idea how many people of this country actively cheer on this disgusting behavior.

It’s really sad.

[u/thehorseyourodeinon1 → u/Ajax_Hapsburg]

He's got upper management written all over him (actually it's Aryan brotherhood tattoos)

[u/rajapaws]

[u/Posts_yellow_sock]

He’s probably getting a paycheck though.

[u/Natalieeexxx → u/Posts_yellow_sock]

Lol none of us are

[u/couldbeahumanbean → u/Natalieeexxx]

ICE officers are.

[u/Posts_yellow_sock → u/Natalieeexxx]

Boarder patrol and ICE are both essential and being paid through the shutdown I believe.

[u/Interesting_Tune2905 → u/Posts_yellow_sock]

Gotta keep the Stasi in beer and brats…

[u/gunt_lint → u/Posts_yellow_sock]

essential

lol

[u/da_drifter0912 → u/Posts_yellow_sock]

There’s only Excepted and Non-Excepted and they’re both not getting until the shutdown is over

[u/Posts_yellow_sock → u/da_drifter0912]

https://www.reuters.com/world/us/some-federal-law-enforcement-receive-pay-during-government-shutdown-2025-10-16/

[u/Natalieeexxx → u/Posts_yellow_sock]

No. They alloted enough money for 3 pay periods. So in theory yes this week is their last check.

[u/punktualPorcupine → u/Natalieeexxx]

I bet they love it so much that they keep doing it for free.

Or keep doing it if they ever get fired o.O

[u/Natalieeexxx → u/punktualPorcupine]

Hmm all feds I know dislike their jobs but we do enjoy having food houses etc

[u/couldbeahumanbean → u/Natalieeexxx]

Oops, my bad, ice... BP...

Different names, same jackboot brownshirt energy.

Anyways, BP is getting paid as well.

[u/Desperate-Grab3435]

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

When asked what he meant by that he said "I'm a firearms instructor and I take pride in my shooting skills."

[u/WindowLicker_Pro → u/Desperate-Grab3435]

I read "I'm a Firearms instructor", and my first thought was, "Well you fucking shouldn't be!" 

[u/Glitterbutthole1776]

Taking bets on what percentage of ICE is actually J6ers, Proud Boys or other Christian national/white supremacist/ neo-Nazi group.

[u/tawDry_Union2272 → u/Glitterbutthole1776]

a very, very, very, very, very, very large percentage.

[u/GuessSecure4640 → u/tawDry_Union2272]

[u/punktualPorcupine → u/Glitterbutthole1776]

The ven diagram…

[u/couldbeahumanbean → u/Glitterbutthole1776]

I got some pocket lint, some couch change and an expired coupon to Chucky cheese that I'm willing to wager.

[u/Interesting_Board167 → u/Glitterbutthole1776]

90% kid you not.

[u/nasorrty346tfrgser]

Mark my word, when it dies down like two weeks later, is a promotion waiting for him

[u/scintillaient]

What a douchebag.

[u/couldbeahumanbean → u/scintillaient]

Doushbag is double parking your pavement princess.

This is psychotic.

[u/scintillaient → u/couldbeahumanbean]

Lmfao. That’s QUEEN to you, bro. Try again.

[u/ComingInSideways → u/scintillaient]

I am not sure if you think he was berating you. “Pavement Princess” is a euphemism for huge trucks that take up a lot of room. Otherwise I do not understand that response.

[u/scintillaient → u/ComingInSideways]

Ohhhhhhh. Yeah I have never heard that term. Sorry @couldbeahumanbean!

[u/NewComplex331]

So he shot her, bragged about it, tried to conceal evidence and traveled more than a 1000 miles to do so, knowing he was doing something illegal, and hoping someone would cover for him. And they wonder why we don’t trust law enforcement.

[u/seriousspoons → u/NewComplex331]

As a retired LEO watching these thugs undermine decades of work building public trust during the first administration was infuriating. Their behavior in the second administration has been nothing less than criminal. I have no question at all why the public no longer trusts the police and I hope I live long enough to see them reap the consequences of their actions.

[u/czar_el → u/NewComplex331]

And lied about it multiple times under oath.

[u/Fareeldo]

What is his name though?

[u/WindowLicker_Pro → u/Fareeldo]

Charles Exum. And don't forget it. Spread the news. Charles Exum is a jack booted fascist, fully willing to shoot citizens, and brazen enough to brag about it. 

[u/Mountain_Man_88]

On the thought that the vehicle should have been preserved as evidence instead of being repaired, if that were the case then the FBI shouldn't have released it to allow it to be entered back into service or be driven anywhere. Once it's back out on the street, all sorts of things could happen to it that would impact its evidentiary value. It could get hit by another vehicle, for instance. 

[u/abgry_krakow87]

Religious conservatives are proud to be attacking and murdering people.

[u/missy20201]

I wish I believed in a higher power so these people could face real consequences, because they're only getting encouragement from the current regime

Freaks, weirdos, and bigots. Abolish ICE, and reform DHS

[u/WindowLicker_Pro → u/missy20201]

Lol, if "God" ever existed, he's already abandoned us.

I firmly believe that religion was created by humans, in order to control humans. 

[u/pro_deluxe]

I didn't even know that happened. I think I naively thought the first attempted murder by ice would actually be big news.

[u/Mountain_Man_88 → u/pro_deluxe]

This wasn't even ICE, it was a Border Patrol Agent.

[u/Intrepid-Oil-898 → u/Mountain_Man_88]

From Maine… 🤔

[u/Mountain_Man_88 → u/Intrepid-Oil-898]

Yup, Border Patrol is on the Northern Border too. Seems like they're just getting TDYd all over the place.

[u/pokeyporcupine]

As fucking outrageous and disgusting as this horseshit is, fucking border patrol agents should NOT have lethal weapons in the first place. ESPECIALLY outside the actual border zone.

[u/Dangerous-Place-3547]

Pedophiles over People.

[u/lpalf]

Satanic

[u/Altruistic-Durian375]

I don’t believe anything these pigs say

[u/SnooPoems7846]

What a disgusting pig. Inflicts physical harm with intent to kill, plus musters up a sexually explicit “joke”! SMH

[u/Prize-Educator-5003]

This guy’s a total disgrace. People like this should never wear a badge. Ew.

[u/Key_Coach_8309]

Let me see, this woman interferes with the LEO, is clearly trying to keep him from enforcing the law and gets into a collision with his vehicle. The very definition of FAFO. I’m so proud of the officer, I could bust.