A US Customs and Border Protection (CBP) agent is under fire after allegedly bragging about his excessive use of force during a shooting incident in Chicago, where he repeatedly shot a woman accused of ramming into his car. The agent, Charles Exum, had text messages revealed in court that showed he was concerned the government destroyed evidence that could have supported his defense.
Exum’s defense attorney claims the CBP agency potentially destroyed evidence by releasing his damaged vehicle and allowing him to drive it over 1,000 miles to his home state of Maine. The agent claimed his life was at risk during the incident, but text messages suggest he may have been bragging about his marksmanship.
The woman, Marimar Martinez, is a 30-year-old American citizen who allegedly followed Exum’s car and rammed into it after a minor collision. However, her defense attorney says the opposite – that Exum sideswiped Martinez.
The case has garnered national attention, with prosecutors alleging that Martinez and her co-defendant drove recklessly towards Exum’s vehicle, running red lights and driving in the wrong lane. The FBI claimed they preserved evidence from the incident but released Exum’s damaged vehicle back to him without properly documenting any potential damage.
A judge expressed skepticism over why the cars of the two drivers accused in the case were kept as evidence while Exum’s car was released, allowing it to be driven normally for three days before being returned to Chicago. The government claims they acted in good faith, but the judge questions their narrative, saying discrepancies and omissions have raised concerns about bad faith or prejudicial influence on the evidence.
Source: https://edition.cnn.com/2025/11/05/us/chicago-marimar-martinez-shooting-hearing