Hector Gomez, 46, admitted in federal court Monday that he fired shots near U.S. Customs and Border Protection agents during last November’s enforcement sweep in Little Village known as Operation Midway Blitz. He pleaded guilty to illegally possessing a firearm as a felon and acknowledged he is a Mexican national who is unlawfully present in the United States. The admission came before U.S. District Judge Matthew Kennelly as Gomez agreed with allegations read into the record.
Guilty plea in federal court
Gomez told the judge he discharged "at least two rounds" while driving a black Jeep Wrangler on Nov. 8, then parked, pointed the gun at an unidentified person, and got back into the vehicle. He entered the guilty plea to illegal gun possession and spoke through a Spanish interpreter during the hearing, according to the Chicago Sun-Times.
Indictment and evidence
Federal prosecutors indicted Gomez in January on two counts: possession of a firearm as a previously convicted felon and possession of a firearm by a foreign national without lawful status. Chicago police say they found a loaded handgun in his lap while he sat in a Little Village parking lot. According to a press release from the U.S. Attorney’s Office, the indictment ties that weapon to rounds fired earlier that day in proximity to Border Patrol agents, and a grand jury returned the indictment on Jan. 8.
Where it happened and the Midway context
The shots were reported as crowds gathered near 26th Street and Kedzie during a tense day of federal enforcement in Little Village. The Department of Homeland Security initially said on social media that "an unknown male driving a black Jeep fired shots at agents and fled the scene," and there were no immediate reports of anyone struck. The sweep was part of the broader Operation Midway Blitz, a campaign that has drawn protests and legal scrutiny from local leaders and national outlets as coverage tracked the operation and its fallout. ABC7 Chicago and The Washington Post covered the clashes, and Hoodline previously reported on Gomez’s earlier indictment in January. Gomez Indicted In January.
Penalties and next steps
Judge Kennelly scheduled Gomez’s sentencing for July 20, 2026. Prosecutors told the court the plea carries a maximum sentence of 15 years and that a conviction would likely lead to Gomez’s deportation, according to the Chicago Sun-Times. The earlier indictment from the U.S. Attorney’s Office noted that each count is punishable by up to ten years in federal prison. Gomez remains detained pending sentencing.
