Border Patrol Agent Accused of Chokehold on Migrant in Chicago Suburb

Incident Details

• 🚨 A shocking video appears to show a Border Patrol agent placing a Mexican migrant, Ricardo Aguayo Rodriguez, in a chokehold in Melrose Park, Illinois.
• 🤕 The migrant was subsequently hospitalized and then taken to an unknown location, according to his family.
• 👨‍👩‍👧‍👦 His family was reportedly denied visitation and is now seeking to confirm his whereabouts with the help of a lawyer.

Migrant's Account and Family Statement

• 🚴‍♂️ Aguayo Rodriguez was allegedly riding his bicycle to get food when he encountered federal agents.
• 🗣️ In the video, he can be heard pleading in Spanish, "Please, friend," as they grappled on the ground.
• 🏥 He was treated at Lyola Medicine's Gotautle Memorial Hospital and later released.

DHS Statement and Allegations

• ⚖️ The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) described Aguayo Rodriguez as a "criminal illegal alien" with prior convictions for assault, battery, and drug possession.
• 💥 DHS claims he attacked agents after fleeing on foot and actively resisted arrest, necessitating the use of pepper spray and strikes as a last resort.
• 🏥 Border Patrol stated the suspect was taken to the hospital as a precaution.

Broader Context of Aggressive Arrests

• 😮 This incident follows other recent videos showing aggressive arrests by federal agents in the Chicago area.
• 👊 One video from Halloween night shows agents punching a man pinned to the asphalt, with DHS claiming he assaulted an officer.
• 🤕 Another incident involved a 76-year-old US citizen who allegedly sustained broken ribs after Border Patrol agents pulled him from his car and knelt on his back.

Border Patrol Use of Force Policy

• 🗣️ US Border Patrol Chief Greg Bovino stated that agents use the least amount of force necessary to affect an arrest or mission.
• ⚠️ He defended the use of less-lethal devices, even when facing potential life-altering injuries, and indicated that agents pursue individuals regardless of their immigration status.