In a congressional hearing on Tuesday, the Rep. Robert Garcia (D-CA) read aloud text messages from an immigration agent who bragged about shooting a Chicago woman last year.
On October 4, a Customs and Border Protection agent Charles Exum a shot Marimar Martinez five times in Brighton Park during the Department of Homeland Security’s Operation Midway Blitz, an immigration crackdown. DHS claimed that Martinez had hit Exum and other agents, causing them to “fire defensively.” The Department of Justice charged Martinez, but the charges were ultimately dismissed after the government admitted in court that the hacking had not taken place.
On Tuesday, House Democrats held a hearing on the Trump administration’s continued crackdown in places like Chicago and Minnesota. Martinez gave a painful account of the incident.
“After being in the hospital for less than three hours, I was released from the hospital under FBI custody. As soon as we left the hospital, I was escorted out the back in a wheelchair. I observed dozens of Border Patrol agents waiting outside the hospital,” said Martinez. “One of the agents came to me with his mobile phone and took a picture of me. It was the same agent who had been coming in and out before [of my hospital] room, and I had to repeatedly tell him to leave.”
Later in the hearing, Garcia read texts from Exum about the shooting. The messages were displayed on placards behind him:
Mrs. Martinez, these are pictures of texts sent by the agent who shot you. And it’s actually disturbing to read, but I think it’s important for the public to see this. The agent put together an article about your shot and sent a text, “Read it. 5 shots, 7 holes. I shot 7 rounds and she had 7 holes. Put this in your book, boys … Oh, well, it is what it is. Sh*t happens.”
This is someone who works for the US government.
The hearing was also witnessed by Luke Granger and Brent Grangerthe brothers of Renee Goodwho was fatally shot by the Immigration and Customs Enforcement agent Jonathan Ross last month in Minneapolis. Two weeks after her murder, the Border Patrol agent Jesus Ochoa and a Customs and Border Protection officer Raymond Gutierrez shot and killed Alex Pretty in the city.
Watch above via MS NOW.
The post Congress reads texts from a Border agent who bragged about shooting a Chicago woman: ‘5 shots, 7 holes’ first appeared on Mediaite.