Judge dismissed all charges against Marimar Martinez and co-defendant Anthony Ruiz with prejudice
Martinez was shot several times on Oct. 4 after Border Patrol agents said she rammed their SUV during a traffic stop in Brighton Park. Her attorneys have maintained the evidence paints a very different picture
A judge dismissed all charges against Marimar Martinez and co-defendant Anthony Ruiz with prejudice, ending the federal case permanently.
Martinez was shot several times by a Border Patrol agent during a 2023 traffic stop in Brighton Park.
The ruling follows defense claims that agents mishandled and destroyed key evidence, including the vehicle involved in the shooting.
Central to the case was the federal Tahoe involved in the shooting. The defense argued the vehicle was moved more than a thousand miles to Maine, repaired, and cleaned long before they were allowed to inspect it — erasing any physical evidence that might have supported Martinez’s version of events.
Attorneys also pointed to text messages from the agent who fired the shots, claiming he bragged afterward, saying Martinez “had seven holes.” They say body-camera video captures another agent yelling “Do something, B,” just seconds before the gunfire.
Prosecutors had maintained that the agent acted in self-defense, insisting Martinez hit their vehicle first. But with Thursday’s ruling, both Martinez and Ruiz are now cleared of all charges — ending the case for good.
