A federal judge sentenced Hector Gomez to 30 months in prison Thursday for discharging a firearm near immigration agents during enforcement raids in Chicago’s Little Village neighborhood last November. U.S. District Judge Matthew Kennelly imposed a sentence at the top of the guidelines, citing the inherent danger of Gomez’s actions on a busy Saturday morning, despite no evidence that anyone was directly targeted.

Gomez, 46, pleaded guilty earlier this year to possession of a firearm by a felon. He is currently in custody and is expected to be deported upon release, as he is not legally authorized to reside in the United States. His defense attorney, Michael Monaco, argued for a reduced sentence of 18 months, stating that Gomez had been intoxicated the night before and was reckless rather than intentionally harmful.

In court, Gomez expressed remorse, apologizing through a Spanish interpreter and reflecting on his struggles with alcohol since his arrest. "I am ashamed and regretful for my actions, which have come to cause great harm to the government of the United States of America, my family and myself," he said.

The incident occurred on November 8, toward the conclusion of a day marked by aggressive immigration enforcement as part of Operation Midway Blitz, a campaign launched by the Trump administration targeting undocumented immigrants. Reports from that morning detailed clashes between residents and immigration agents, including a Chicago police officer being struck by a vehicle and a child and her family being pepper-sprayed.

According to court testimony, immigration agents called police to report shots fired from a black Jeep Wrangler near 25th and Kedzie as agents conducted raids; no injuries were reported. Surveillance footage captured the gunfire, although no ballistic trajectory analysis was conducted to assess risk to agents. Police responding to the call encountered a hostile crowd that had begun throwing bricks, preventing further questioning of the agents.

Later that afternoon, officers responding to a separate call at Aguascalientes restaurant at 3100 West 26th Street located Gomez sitting inside a black 2018 Jeep Wrangler with a firearm in his lap. Witnesses told authorities that Gomez had pointed the gun at a woman in a threatening manner. Although not charged with firing shots at agents, federal prosecutors linked shell casings at the scene to the 9mm handgun in Gomez’s possession.

Federal records indicate Gomez first entered the United States in 2008 under a false identity and has been removed multiple times. He also has a prior conviction from 2025 for aggravated use of a weapon.

Operation Midway Blitz resulted in federal charges against roughly 33 individuals. To date, 24 defendants have been cleared through various means, including grand jury decisions, dismissals, and acquittals. Deferred prosecution agreements are in place for five others, while charges remain pending against three, including Anthony Gonzalez Alvarez. Alvarez had previously pleaded guilty to a felony related to a traffic incident with Border Patrol agents in October, though that plea was withdrawn, and he is set to enter a misdemeanor guilty plea.