FBI Arrests Two After Border Patrol Vehicle Rammed During Immigration Operation in Chicago
Federal authorities have arrested two individuals in connection with a violent ambush targeting U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) agents in Chicago over the weekend, marking a dangerous escalation in anti-enforcement aggression amid heightened immigration operations across the city.
The FBI announced Sunday that Marimar Martinez, 31, and Anthony Ian Santos, 21, were taken into custody and formally charged with forcibly assaulting, impeding, and interfering with federal law enforcement officers after allegedly ramming their vehicles into a CBP SUV during an active immigration operation.
The attack occurred Saturday morning on Chicago’s southwest side, where three Border Patrol agents were operating in a silver Chevrolet Tahoe as part of a mobile security detail. According to a criminal complaint, a “convoy of civilian vehicles” began tailing the agents, blowing through stop signs and red lights in what federal authorities described as a coordinated effort to intercept and harass law enforcement.
Martinez, who was driving one of the vehicles, could be heard referring to the CBP agents as “la migra,” a derogatory term for immigration officers. Along with another individual identified as Ruiz, the group boxed in the CBP vehicle and deliberately struck it from both sides, causing a temporary loss of control.
According to the complaint, one of the agents exited the vehicle and fired five shots at Martinez’s car after she allegedly attempted to drive directly at him. Both vehicles fled the scene immediately after the incident.
Martinez was later apprehended at a local auto repair shop while seeking treatment for gunshot wounds. Ruiz was captured at a nearby gas station. Santos, another individual tied to the incident, was also arrested in the aftermath. The FBI has not confirmed if Ruiz and Santos are the same person or separate defendants, but court filings indicate multiple charges related to assaulting federal agents.
FBI Director Kash Patel issued a statement shortly after the arrests were announced. “Attack our law enforcement, and this FBI will find you and bring you to justice,” Patel wrote on X.
The @FBI just arrested two individuals who were allegedly driving these vehicles and attacking our federal law enforcement officers.
They have been charged for assaulting federal officers with a deadly or dangerous weapon.
Attack our law enforcement, and this FBI will find you… https://t.co/iQ9wDeAzQh
— FBI Director Kash Patel (@FBIDirectorKash) October 6, 2025
This marks the third violent encounter targeting immigration enforcement officers in the Chicago area in just one week. Two earlier incidents involved illegal aliens ramming Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents with their vehicles during similar operations.
On Tuesday, Miguel Escareno De Loera, a Mexican national illegally in the U.S., rammed his car twice into an ICE vehicle in Norridge, Illinois, before crashing into a storefront. Days later, Widman Osberto Lopez-Funes, an illegal alien from Guatemala, slammed his vehicle into ICE agents during a separate raid in Bensenville before fleeing on foot. He was later arrested at his home.
The string of attacks comes as the Trump administration ramps up immigration enforcement in sanctuary cities, including Chicago, where Democrat leaders have clashed with federal officials over access and coordination. Homeland Security officials have warned that the increasingly hostile rhetoric from local politicians is emboldening violent resistance to federal law enforcement.
Saturday’s incident near Temple Beth Zion, where a separate security alert occurred earlier in the month, has added to growing concern among federal agents operating in the region.
Despite the rising threats, officials say enforcement efforts will continue — and that further arrests are likely. “We will not be intimidated,” a senior DHS official told reporters. “If you assault our agents, we will find you — and you will face federal charges.”