Incident in Broadview, Illinois

The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) reported that an armed woman was shot and killed after approaching a federal agent in Broadview, Illinois, on Saturday.

According to a DHS statement, the woman, identified as Marimar Martinez, had breached a checkpoint manned by Customs and Border Patrol (CBP) agents. She was allegedly armed with a semi-automatic firearm and was shot dead by the agents, later being reported as deceased at the hospital.

Martinez was reportedly in FBI custody after the incident, while another individual, Anthony Ian Santos Lewis, was taken into custody by law enforcement. Additionally, two other suspects were arrested—one accused of attacking a CBP officer at the scene and another for allegedly targeting a vehicle belonging to Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE).

Several CBP personnel required hospitalization due to the altercation, as stated by officials.

DHS Deputy Chief Tricia McLaughlin mentioned that Martinez had been “named last week in Doxing Agent’s CBP Intelligence Breaking News” via a post.

This event unfolded amidst ongoing protests regarding the presence of ICE agents in the village, situated approximately 20 minutes outside Chicago. A recent DHS release noted that 10 vehicles had “boxed” in Border Patrol agents, which is when Martinez reportedly attempted to run through one of them.

ICE operates within a village housing nearly 8,000 residents. Recently, ICE had ramped up its enforcement efforts in Chicago, marked by the launch of Operation Midway Blitz targeting criminal activity.

Earlier this month, DHS announced that during Operation Midway Blitz, both ICE and CBP officials executed over 1,000 arrests. The violence, however, has raised concerns among the immigrant community, prompting criticism from Illinois Governor JB Pritzker.

On Friday, hundreds protested outside the ICE facility in Broadview as Governor Pritzker visited the site. DHS reported that 13 individuals were arrested, along with five others detained by the Cook County Sheriff’s Office.

Following the vehicle incident on Saturday afternoon, DHS Secretary Kristi Noem announced on social media that “extra resources are being deployed to manage the scene.” The FBI’s Chicago office has stated that they and their partners are “actively investigating allegations of violence against officers and obstruction of justice.”