The U.S. Department of Homeland Security said a man is in custody for allegedly firing shots at a U.S. Customs and Border Patrol agent in Chicago’s Little Village neighborhood over the weekend.
In a post to X, the official DHS account said that a “criminal illegal alien from Mexico” was arrested “in relation to Saturday’s shooting targeting Border Patrol agents in Chicago.”
The post goes on to claim the man had “previously been convicted for aggravated unlawful use of a weapon/vehicle, felony possession of a weapon, and illegal entry.”
DHS said he’s “currently marked as a violator of the Laken Riley Act” and charges against him are pending.
DHS’s post does not give a name for the man they arrested or offer any other details about him, so CBS News Chicago is unable to verify the claims they are making about his criminal background.
A driver fired shots at CBP agents during immigration enforcement operations on Saturday near 26th and Kedzie Avenue. DHS at the time said people nearby also threw a paint can and bricks at the agents’ vehicle.
The Chicago Police Department was called to help clear the scene. CPD said on Saturday they responded to the scene for reports of hots fired, but did not find anyone that had been struck by gunfire.
Video from the scene showed federal agents pointing weapons at the gathered civilians before Chicago police officers arrived to help with crowd control, as well as deploying tear gas. CBP Commander Gregory Bovino was also seen on video holding a canister of tear gas, but not deploying it.
The DHS post to X Monday afternoon included video of Bovino on Fox News talking about immigration enforcement and the arrest related to this incident. In the interview he says Chicago police are also investigating the Little Village incident.
CBS News Chicago’s cameras were there when Chicago police arrested a man matching the description and vehicle of the suspected shooter on Saturday. We have reached out to CPD for confirmation that this the same arrest and for more information about their investigation and are waiting to hear back.
Ald. Byron Sigcho-Lopez (25th Ward) said multiple people were detained throughout the day, including a father near 23rd and Sawyer, where he said agents smashed windows and dragged the man out of a car while his 11-year-old son was in the vehicle.
Sigcho-Lopez said the actions of border patrol agents, led by Bovino, are putting the community in danger.
CBS News Chicago also obtained surveillance video from a business where Bovino was seen going through the aisles of the business, with the owner appearing to tell Bovino to leave. It’s not clear why Bovino was inside the business.
CBS News Chicago has reached out to the Chicago Police Department and the FBI’s Chicago Bureau for more information and comment and are waiting to hear back.
Please note: The above video is from an earlier report.
Victor Jacobo
contributed to this report.