CHICAGO, IL – Federal agents faced a tense situation in Chicago’s Brighton Park as two individuals allegedly used their vehicles to target government cars. Mortimer Martinez and Anthony Ian Santos Ruiz were charged after they reportedly rammed a federal vehicle, according to court documents.
The Department of Homeland Security stated that the incident was one of two similar events in the area. Both Martinez and Ruiz allegedly used their vehicles to trap a federal agent’s car. An agent, unable to move, exited his vehicle and fired five shots at Martinez, who was reportedly armed and attempted to run over agents.
Martinez fled the scene but was found by paramedics at a repair shop a mile away. She was taken to the hospital for gunshot wound treatment. Ruiz was located shortly after at a nearby gas station, where he and his vehicle were detained.
Video footage from a witness showed the confrontation, with a uniformed officer aiming a weapon and Ruiz’s SUV visible at the gas station. Prosecutors claim the pair was part of a convoy trailing agents after a Customs and Border Protection operation.
Another vehicle ramming incident occurred nearby, involving a black SUV and a white pickup truck with flashing blue lights. The identity of the SUV driver remains unknown, but the vehicle pursued the pickup toward protesters. DHS clarified that this was a separate vehicle assault.
An unidentified suspect is in custody following an attempt to force ICE agents off the road. Several agents were hospitalized, though their conditions are currently unknown.
Martinez and Ruiz face charges of assaulting and impeding federal law enforcement officers. Chicago Police Department officials confirmed their response to maintain safety and traffic control, although federal agencies lead the investigation. CPD also addressed two additional hit-and-run incidents involving federal agencies.