Arrest made in alleged shooting at Border Patrol officers in Little Village, DHS says
Suspect arrested after Border Patrol agents targeted in Little Village shooting
Federal officials say a man from Mexico—who’s in the U.S. illegally—has been arrested after a weekend shooting that targeted Border Patrol agents in Little Village.
CHICAGO - Federal officials said an arrest was made in connection with the shooting at Border Patrol officers in Chicago’s Little Village neighborhood on Saturday.
What we know:
A spokeswoman for the Department of Homeland Security described the suspect as "a criminal illegal alien from Mexico," but did not identify the person.
The spokeswoman alleged that the suspect had been previously convicted for aggravated unlawful use of a weapon, felony possession of a weapon, and illegal entry into the U.S.
While Border Patrol agents were conducting an immigration operation in Little Village on Saturday when, DHS said, they were shot at by an unknown male driving a black Jeep near the intersection of 26th Street and Kedzie Avenue. The gunman fled the scene.
No officers were hit by the gunfire.
That same morning, angry crowds of residents gathered near that intersection to decry the actions of federal agents.
Chicago Ald. Michael Rodriguez (22nd) said the Border Patrol agents used flash grenades against the crowds without warning and were causing "all sorts of mayhem."
DHS also alleged that "agitators" threw a paint can and bricks at Border Patrol vehicles.
The backstory:
Saturday’s alleged violence was just the latest in a string of clashes between federal agents and protestors in the Chicago area, some of which have resulted in criminal charges.
On Oct. 4 in Brighton Park, Marimar Martinez and Anthony Ian Santos Ruiz allegedly used their cars to ram a car full of federal immigration agents. The incident resulted in one agent shooting and injuring Martinez. But the suspect’s attorneys have disputed the federal narrative of that day’s events.
Protests at the ICE processing facility in suburban Broadview have also led to at-times violent clashes with federal agents and local police. One incident on Sept. 26 in which protesters allegedly tried to stop a federal vehicle from driving near the facility resulted in charges against six people, including a congressional candidate and a Chicago alderman’s chief of staff.