Two violent criminal illegal aliens in Chicago led officers on a 10-minute car chase, causing multiple car accidents, and then fled on foot into a nearby school last week.
After news of the chase spread on local media outlets, U.S. Customs and Border Protection fired back at Chicago media for “burying the lede” on the story.
The two Mexican nationals have lengthy rap sheets, including convictions for domestic assault, DUI, drug possession, and kidnapping. Initially, they attempted to flee immigration agents in a vehicle, which led to a car chase that put the public at risk.
“Way to bury the lede! Earlier today, Border Patrol removed two violent criminals from a Chicago suburb school,” CBP posted on social media. “It’s a great thing our agents caught them.”
Way to bury the lede! Earlier today, Border Patrol removed two violent criminals from a Chicago suburb school.
Agents were pursuing the two Mexican nationals as part of Operation Midway Blitz, when they fled into the school.
It’s a great thing our agents caught them.
Josafat… https://t.co/kOrdjJStWG pic.twitter.com/fH5HuqhbPc
— CBP (@CBP) October 30, 2025
Federal agents arrested the two men Thursday, Oct. 30 after they bailed out of their car near the Warren Township High School’s O’Plaine Campus, in Gurnee, Ill., a suburb north of Chicago. One fleeing illegal alien ran into the school, likely thinking it was a “safe zone” due to Chicago’s sanctuary policies.
The U.S. Department of Homeland Security also took to social media, adding “they recklessly drove into a school parking lot, and fled into the school—endangering students, school staff, the public, and law enforcement officers—trying to evade justice.”
Today, two violent criminal illegal aliens with rap sheets that include kidnapping started a high speed chase, they crashed into multiple cars, recklessly drove into a school parking lot, and fled into the school —endangering students, school staff, the public, and law… https://t.co/CDmkUa5gmS pic.twitter.com/kj0etKJ6Gn
— Homeland Security (@DHSgov) October 30, 2025
Per CBP, the officers were trying to apprehend Josafat Garcia-Roa, who has multiple DUIs, felony cocaine possession, multiple domestic batteries and assaults and violation of bail bond.
A passenger in the truck, Samuel Suarez-Cuevas, has a criminal history of kidnapping, multiple counts of domestic violence and domestic battery and criminal damage.
Border Patrol agents were conducting a “targeted operation,” according to DHS. The two criminals opted to flee law enforcement and threaten public safety, endangering students in the process.
“These two criminal illegal aliens recklessly endangered the public by starting a high-speed car chase and then driving onto school grounds, possibly to seek protection since they are ‘ICE Free Zones,’” DHS said in the X post.
WLS-TV (ABC7 Chicago) ran with the headline “Chase involving feds results in crashes, ends in arrests at Gurnee high school campus” without mentioning the suspects were criminal illegal migrants.
NBC5 Chicago also downplayed the fact they were criminals, instead highlighting the federal agents “chased a fleeing suspect into a suburban school building, leading to an altercation that unfolded in front of students and staff.”
The news reports did not name the two men who were caught.
The Gurnee Police Department said it was notified that federal law enforcement agencies were pursuing a vehicle they said was “occupied by individuals who had been previously deported for felony offenses.”
The roughly 10-minute car chase began shortly after 8 a.m. outside of Gurnee and resulted in multiple crashes. Garcia-Roa, the driver, initially pulled over but took off after realizing it was Border Patrol agents, DHS said.
The vehicle even lost a tire, which hit another vehicle, but the suspects eventually jumped out of the car and ran toward the high school, police said.
“After driving on three wheels for a several more blocks, the driver pulled into Warren Township High School parking lot and the driver and passenger fled on foot toward the school,” DHS said.
Garcia-Roa was apprehended in the parking lot. Suarez ran into the high school where he was apprehended inside after a brief altercation.
As is common in today’s digital world, onlookers recorded the incident, with some shouting, “This is a school,” and took to social media with the footage.
Warren Township High School District 121 Superintendent Daniel Woestman said he understood that the situation “might have alarmed some.” He spoke with Border Patrol leadership about the handling of the incident to express his concerns, local outlets reported.
In a message to parents, Woestman said “federal agent personnel followed one of the adults into the O’Plaine campus building through a door that was being used appropriately by students and staff who were entering the building as part of their daily routine.”
The WLS-TV report focused on the “chaos and confusion” it caused for students, staff and parents, adding the school is “offering extra support for students who need help processing the incident.”
The attempt to evade arrest by hiding in a school is another example of the increasingly brazen tactics illegal immigrants are using to avoid ICE, which are being encouraged by leftist politicians.
“This incident once again shows the harm of the rhetoric and coverage of our agents,” DHS shared on social media. “Border Patrol does not conduct enforcements near schools but will not allow criminal illegal aliens to put the public in harm’s way.”
But in deep blue Chicago, the arrests of the two illegals at the Gurnee school will likely add more fuel to a growing feud over immigration enforcement in the Chicago area.
The headline-grabbing Border Patrol pursuit is more ammunition for Illinois’ radical Democrat Governor JB Pritzker, who demanded that ICE and DHS suspend immigration actions on Halloween, October 31.
Border Patrol Commander Gregory Bovino has also been in and out of court in recent weeks, after a federal judge ordered him to provide her with daily check-ins on Chicago’s Operation Midway Blitz.
The 7th Circuit Court of Appeals put a pause on Judge Sara Ellis’ order, but the back-and-forth legal battle continues amid a lawsuit filed by several media organizations. The news outlets, joined by unions and protesters, want to thwart the deportation campaign and stop what they deem as aggressive law enforcement tactics during ongoing protests.
Ellis has accused ICE, Border Patrol and other federal agents of violating a restraining order she issued on Oct. 10. The order bans the use of tear gas or other riot control munitions without an immediate threat, The Washington Times reported.
