Congressman Reads Texts From Border Agent Who Bragged About Shooting Chicago Woman: ‘5 Shots, 7 Holes’

In a congressional hearing on Tuesday, Rep. Robert Garcia (D-CA) read aloud text messages from an immigration agent who bragged about shooting a Chicago woman last year.

On Oct. 4, Customs and Border Protection agent Charles Exum shot Marimar Martinez five times in Brighton Park during the Department of Homeland Security’s Operation Midway Blitz, an immigration crackdown. DHS claimed Martinez had rammed Exum and other agents, which prompted them “to fire defensively.” The Department of Justice indicted Martinez, but ultimately the charges were dismissed after the government admitted in court that the ramming had not occurred.

On Tuesday, House Democrats held a hearing about the Trump administration’s ongoing crackdown in places such as Chicago and Minnesota. Martinez gave a harrowing account of the incident.

“After being at the hospital for less than three hours, I was discharged from the hospital into custody of the FBI. As we left the hospital, I was escorted out through the back in a wheelchair. I observed over dozens of Border Patrol agents waiting outside the hospital,” Martinez said. “One of the agents came up to me with his cell phone and took a photograph of me. It was the same agent who had previously kept coming in and out [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:

Ms. Martinez, these are images of texts sent by the agent who shot you. And they’re actually disturbing to read, but I think it’s important for the public to see this. The agent linked an article about your shooting and texted, “Read it. 5 shots, 7 holes. I fired 7 rounds and she had 7 holes. Put that in your book, boys… Oh, well, it is what it is. Sh*t happens.”

This is someone that works for the United States government.

The hearing also featured testimony from Luke Granger and Brent Granger, the brothers of Renee Good, who was fatally shot by Immigration and Customs Enforcement agent Jonathan Ross last month in Minneapolis. Two weeks after her killing, Border Patrol agent Jesus Ochoa and Customs and Border Protection officer Raymundo Gutierrez shot and killed Alex Pretti in the city.

Watch above via MS NOW.

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