@jonseidel.bsky.social
Federal Courts Reporter, @chicago.suntimes.com
Men climbed through a window, snapped handcuffs on the co-founder of the Sinaloa cartel, and pulled a bag over his head.
That's what a judge heard Monday as a son of "El Chapo" pleaded guilty — and admitted kidnapping "El Mayo."
From @chicago.suntimes.com chicago.suntimes.com/el-chapo/202...
DEVELOPING: 'El Chapo' son admits to 'El Mayo' kidnapping in deal with feds that could save him from life sentence
From @chicago.suntimes.com: chicago.suntimes.com/el-chapo/202...
Good morning from Chicago's Dirksen Federal Courthouse, where Joaquin Guzman Lopez — a son of Sinaloa drug kingpin "El Chapo" — is set to plead guilty this afternoon.
He'd be the second "Chapo" son to do so in five months. Background: chicago.suntimes.com/el-chapo/202...
From @chicago.suntimes.com on the now-public body-cam footage that was relied upon by Judge Sara Ellis.
H/t to @sophiesherry.bsky.social, Kade Heather, @vimiller.bsky.social @angelamassino.bsky.social and Kaitlin Washburn for taking on a holiday evidence drop: chicago.suntimes.com/public-safet...
Family launches fundraiser for woman set on fire on CTA Blue Line
From @chicago.suntimes.com: chicago.suntimes.com/news/2025/11...
For the record, Judge Fuentes wound up having to rescind the order making these videos available for free. And in a separate hearing, U.S. District Judge Sara Ellis just made clear that she and her colleagues have "no ability to waive those fees."
That's up to Congress, she said.
U.S. Rep. Lauren Underwood tours Broadview ICE facility and warns deportation blitz isn't over
@tinasfon.bsky.social reports, via @chicago.suntimes.com: chicago.suntimes.com/immigration/...
I suspect that will be coming, within a week.
25.11.2025 14:30 — 👍 7 🔁 1 💬 1 📌 0Good morning. The full transcript of U.S. Border Patrol Cmdr. Gregory Bovino's deposition has been released.
Three volumes, 400+ pages.
Volume 1: cst.brightspotcdn.com/30/6c/1349ab...
Volume 2: cst.brightspotcdn.com/b7/fb/4afdf1...
Volume 3: cst.brightspotcdn.com/a3/e0/a520af...
4. On September 27, 2025, a large crowd gathered in protest of ongoing immigration enforcement operations being conducted by law enforcement authorities in the Northern District of Illinois. The crowd gathered in protest in front of an entrance to an ICE facility located on Beach Street in Broadview, Illinois (hereinafter the "Broadview Facility"). Agents from the United States Border Patrol (USBP) were working in and around the Broadview Facility to ensure the safe passage of vehicles and personnel into and out of the Broadview Facility. This included performing various crowd control functions outside the Broadview Facility. 5. The entrance to the Broadview Facility at issue includes a large metal security gate that opens onto a public street. Personnel working at the Broadview Facility routinely utilized the entrance gate to move personnel and vehicles into and out of the Broadview Facility. Individuals standing in the street during these operations created an impediment to the movement of federal government personnel and vehicles into or out of the Broadview Facility. As a result, USBP agents routinely instructed protesters, at the risk of arrest, to leave the street area when USBP agents, in the exercise of their lawful authority, needed to utilize the street in furtherance of their operations.
6. As reflected in video recordings made by third-parties and later posted to YouTube, at approximately 5:40 pm (Central Time) on September 27, 2025, USBP agents, while facing outward toward protesters, were moving backward from the street into the Broadview Facility. BRIGGS was one of multiple protesters who remained in the street facing the USBP agents and walking toward them as they retreated toward the open gate of the Broadview Facility gate. BRIGGS was located several feet from the USBP agents. 7. Prior to all of the USBP agents entering the Broadview Facility, for operational reasons, USBP agents began moving back out of the Broadview Facility into the street. As they did so, and as captured on videos posted to YouTube, USBP agents ordered all persons in the street, including BRIGGS, to leave the street to facilitate the movement of personnel and vehicles out of the Broadview Facility and into the public street. 8. However, rather than move out of the street as instructed, BRIGGS remained stationary in the street shouted "Why?" toward a USBP agent. That USBP agent then made physical contact with BRIGGS, who fell backwards onto the street. Agents then moved forward to arrest BRIGGS for refusing to follow the USBP agent's order for him to leave the street. As reflected in one YouTube video I have seen, as agents began to arrest BRIGGS, he attempted to hand his phone to another protester. At that moment, another USBP agent ("Victim A"), wearing a USBP uniform that bore insignia identifying Victim A as a USBP agent, reached forward with Victim A's left arm to prevent BRIGGS from handing off his phone. In response, BRIGGS swung
his right arm toward Victim A's left arm and, in doing so, made physical contact with Victim A's left arm. BRIGGS' act of swinging his right arm toward Victim A's left arm and striking Victim A's left arm (which resulted in an audible slapping noise) is depicted in the YouTube video. Thereafter, BRIGGS was arrested without incident. 9. On September 27, 2025, an HSI case agent briefly interviewed Victim A who told the HSI case agent that BRIGGS made contact with Victim A and, in doing so, caused Victim A to experience pain in Victim A's wrist. 10. On September 28, 2025, an HSI case agent conducted a second interview of Victim A, which included review of the YouTube video with footage that depicted BRIGGS swinging his right arm toward Victim A's left arm. Victim A confirmed that it was Victim A's left arm that was depicted in the video and that it was during this portion of the video that BRIGGS made contact with Victim A. 11. Various USBP agents were equipped with BWCs at the time of BRIGGS' arrest, although not all of the agents, including Victim A, had their BWC operating at the time of the incident. Affiant has procured and reviewed the BWC of the USBP agent who physically interacted with BRIGGS prior to his arrest. Due to the position of BRIGGS' body relative to that agent at the time of BRIGGS' arrest, that BWC does not depict BRIGGS swinging his arm in the direction of Victim A. III. Conclusion 12. Based on the above information, I submit there is probable cause to believe that on or about September 27, 2025, DANA BRIGGS forcibly assaulted, resisted, opposed, impeded, and interfered with an officer of the United States, as designated in Title 18, United State Code, Section 1114, more specifically, a USBP agent, who was engaged in the performance of their official duties, and in doing so, DANA BRIGGS made physical contact with the agent, all in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Section 111(a)(1).
And FWIW, here's how it was all described in the criminal complaint filed against Briggs:
24.11.2025 22:17 — 👍 186 🔁 32 💬 10 📌 2Here's the second:
24.11.2025 22:00 — 👍 235 🔁 66 💬 7 📌 16U.S. Magistrate Judge Gabriel Fuentes, in dismissing Midway Blitz-related charges against Dana Briggs last week, said he was lifting restrictions on relevant video.
Today he made the video available through the clerk's office at no cost to the public. Here's the first.
BREAKING: Comey case dismissed without prejudice. Halligan invalidly appointed, judge rules. storage.courtlistener.com/recap/gov.us...
24.11.2025 17:36 — 👍 15937 🔁 3676 💬 597 📌 552
Man accused in Blue Line fire attack was AWOL from home detention, court records show
Now he's been ordered into federal custody.
Reporting w/ Frank Main and @szreports.bsky.social: chicago.suntimes.com/the-watchdog...
You can read the filing here: cst.brightspotcdn.com/78/e4/f1457e...
22.11.2025 00:09 — 👍 18 🔁 0 💬 0 📌 0
New details about alleged bounty on Bovino's head revealed in unsealed court records
@chicago.suntimes.com story: chicago.suntimes.com/immigration/...
Court's adjourned.
21.11.2025 16:30 — 👍 18 🔁 0 💬 1 📌 0Reed: "If I don't eat then I don't think we're going to make trial, because I'm going to deteriorate."
21.11.2025 16:30 — 👍 15 🔁 1 💬 1 📌 0U.S. Magistrate Judge Laura McNally says she's ordering Lawrence Reed held in custody, based both on his consent and the evidence offered by the government.
"Just make sure I eat," says Reed, who is accused of setting a woman on fire on the CTA.
Lawrence Reed, the man accused in Monday's fire attack on the CTA:
"I agree, about me being detained. It's to my safety, for me to be detained. … I'm a target, from society. And I don't feel safe out there. So I think for my safety, it's best for me to be detained."
Bond says Reed is a "clear and present danger."
"He's been given chance after chance after chance in state court over the years. … In exchange for these numerous second chances, the defendant's consistently re-offended and grown more serious in the types of offenses he commits."
Bond says Reed has spent 32 years in-and-out of the criminal justice system: 72 arrests, including 15 since 2016. Eight felony convictions and seven misdemeanors.
21.11.2025 16:19 — 👍 19 🔁 1 💬 1 📌 1Bond says Reed had a burn on his right hand and a Ventra free-ride permit that CTA says was used to board a Blue Line train at Kedzie and Congress at 9:04 p.m. Monday.
21.11.2025 16:17 — 👍 8 🔁 0 💬 2 📌 0Bond calls it a "barbaric crime."
21.11.2025 16:16 — 👍 13 🔁 1 💬 1 📌 0Bond says the woman struggled for 46 seconds "until the train stopped and she was somehow able to muster the strength to get off the ground and stumble off the train and onto the Blue Line platform while still on fire." She burned for another 15 seconds before people stepped in.
21.11.2025 16:16 — 👍 16 🔁 2 💬 1 📌 0After setting the woman on fire, Bond says Reed "casually looked over" at her "five or six times and watched as if nothing was happening."
21.11.2025 16:14 — 👍 13 🔁 1 💬 1 📌 0
This appears to be one of the photos Bond has shown the judge as he walks through the allegations. Reed also looks at the photos, offering no reaction.
21.11.2025 16:10 — 👍 14 🔁 2 💬 1 📌 0The prosecutor says the victim "did not see or know it was coming."
21.11.2025 16:08 — 👍 14 🔁 0 💬 1 📌 0Bond calls Reed's alleged conduct "horrific and depraved."
21.11.2025 16:07 — 👍 16 🔁 1 💬 1 📌 0AUSA Aaron Bond is arguing for Reed's detention. Looks like he plans to use screenshots from the train surveillance footage as exhibits.
McNally asks if he plans to play any video today. He says he does not.
