Homeland Security authorities said Silver Vilgas Gonzalez resisted the arrest and dragged officers in his vehicle. The agent is in a stable state. Vilgas Gonzalez had a history of reckless driving.
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CHICAGO — Federal immigration agents fatally shot a man in the city’s northwest suburbs who say they are resisting arrests and dragged the agent in his car, officials said on Sept. 12.
US customs and immigration enforcement officials said the man they were trying to arrest ignored orders from federal agents and drove the car to officers trying to arrest him. According to the agency’s statement, the agent has suffered multiple injuries and is in stable condition.
In a statement, DHS said the situation stemmed from an “enforcement operation targeting illegal foreigners of the crime” and that the agent “stops” the man “arrests the vehicle.”
“We pray for the quick recovery of law enforcement officers. He followed his training, used appropriate force and properly enforced the law to protect public and law enforcement,” said Tricia McLaughlin, deputy secretary for homeland security. “The virus’ social media videos and activists not only encourage illegal aliens to resist law enforcement, they also encourage public safety, as well as undermining public safety, as well as our officers and those arrested.”
The fatal shooting of Silver Vilgas Gonzalez is about a week of Operation Midway Blitz, a crackdown on immigration enforcement in the Chicago area ordered by President Donald Trump. The White House says the crackdown is aimed at “worst and worst” criminal immigration.
Vilgas Gonzalez’s known criminal history included a history of reckless driving, immigration officials said. The immigration officer said it was unclear how long he was in the country.
Manuel Antonio Cardenas, a Chicago area lawyer who represented Vilgas Gonzalez in a traffic incident, is calling for a full investigation into the fatal shooting.
“All of his accusations were relevant. They weren’t violent crimes,” Cardenas told USA Today. “A complete investigation should be needed. The tactics used by ice lead to situations that could result in loss of life and injury to a person.”
Vilgas Gonzalez had traffic violations in 2010, 2011, 2013 and 2019, according to Cook County Court records. The charges against him included driving at about 40 mph with speed limits, operating an uninsured vehicle and driving on the left side of the road.
Cardenas said that when he last represented Villegas-Gonzalez in 2019, his clients were working in construction.
