An illegal alien with a prior criminal record has been arrested after a weekend shooting in which U.S. Border Patrol agents came under fire in Chicago’s Little Village neighborhood.

The incident occurred Saturday as agents were conducting immigration enforcement operations, according to the Department of Homeland Security (DHS).

Federal officials said the suspect, a Mexican national whose name has not been released, fired multiple shots from a Jeep before fleeing the scene.

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Sources told Fox News that the man was later found with a firearm at the time of his arrest.

“This incident is not isolated and reflects a growing and dangerous trend of violence and obstruction,” DHS said in a statement.

“Over the past two months, we’ve seen an increase in assaults and obstruction targeting federal law enforcement during operations. These confrontations highlight the dangers our agents face daily and the escalating aggression toward law enforcement.”

According to DHS, the suspect has prior convictions that include aggravated unlawful use of a weapon in a vehicle, felony possession of a firearm, and illegal entry into the United States.

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The agency added that he is currently marked as a violator of the Laken Riley Act and faces pending charges related to assaulting federal officers.

Following the gunfire, federal officials said a group of individuals began throwing a paint can and bricks at Border Patrol vehicles, further escalating the situation.

“This individual should have never been walking the streets of Chicago,” U.S. Customs and Border Protection Chief Patrol Agent Greg Bovino told Fox News.

He confirmed that investigators are pursuing additional leads in connection with the case.

Bovino also criticized Illinois Gov. J.B. Pritzker and Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson, accusing them of creating an environment that emboldens hostility toward law enforcement.

Both officials have publicly opposed President Donald Trump’s immigration enforcement initiatives, including Operation Midway Blitz, an ongoing U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) effort targeting criminal illegal aliens in the Chicago area.

Residents opposed to the operation have staged protests and at times clashed with law enforcement officers. Federal officials say such confrontations have made routine enforcement actions increasingly volatile.

“@GovPritzker is protecting violent criminal illegal aliens who want American law enforcement officers dead,” DHS Secretary Kristi Noem wrote on X.

“This is a battle between law and order, good and evil—and we will prevail.”

.@GovPritzker is protecting violent criminal illegal aliens who want American law enforcement officers dead.

This is a battle between law and order, good and evil—and we will prevail. https://t.co/8jB1jUDDEE

— Secretary Kristi Noem (@Sec_Noem) November 10, 2025

Bovino added that federal intelligence has indicated the Latin Kings gang recently issued orders to target federal agents operating in Chicago, compounding the risks faced by personnel on the ground.

“These are men and women who are simply waking up in the morning every single day to enforce the rule of law,” DHS Assistant Secretary for Public Affairs Tricia McLaughlin said Monday on Fox News’ “America’s Newsroom.”

“It really is a shame that the Democrat Party has decided that violence against law enforcement is OK.”

DHS also reported that ICE agents have experienced an 8,000% increase in death threats in recent months, an alarming rise that officials link to a combination of anti-ICE demonstrations and political rhetoric critical of immigration enforcement.

Meanwhile, DHS sources told Fox News Digital last week that the agency has deported more than 550,000 illegal aliens since President Donald Trump took office.

Officials say the department remains committed to identifying and removing criminal illegal aliens who pose a threat to public safety and national security.

The investigation into Saturday’s shooting remains ongoing.

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