MSNBC's Soboroff Buries Criminal Record of Illegal Alien Arrested in Chicago

Cross posted to the MRC's NewsBusters blog

Twice in recent days, MSNBC reporter Jacob Soboroff downplayed the criminal record of an illegal alien a week after the MSNBC reporter flipped out because federal agents arrested him at a Chicago bakery while he was having coffee.

Back on October 7, Soboroff first brought the story to MSNBC viewers during Chris Jansing Reports as he interviewed a witness to the arrest. As he played video of agents parked outside the bakery and chasing the men inside, the MSNBC reporter tried to portray the Donald Trump administration as being dishonest about whom they are arresting in immigration enforcement raids:

What you're looking at on the lefthand side of your screen is federal agents dressed in tactical gear showing up outside a bakery called La Baguette and arresting two men -- one named Mario, one named Daniel. And the reason I wanted to show you this is that these are the scenes that are playing out every single day here in Chicago. And when I say, "the scenes," I mean against sort of the narrative that this administration has had about these being the worst of the worst. Come with me -- I want to show you something.

He then spoke with a woman named Rosie who informed viewers that she knows Mario Martinez and his wife, who runs the bakery, and described him as not being a criminal.

Soboroff discussed the story again that day on Katy Tur Reports and on Deadline: White House. During Tur's show, Soboroff showed a clip of him speaking with the cousin of the other man who was arrested, Daniel Prera. The cousin declared that he is afraid of being arrested even though he is a citizen.

And, as if a "no trespassing" sign could be used to stop immigration agents who are in pursuit of a suspect, Soboroff made sure to mention that the bakery had a sign forbidding the entry of federal agents: "And you can see, 'Notice: Private Property.' That's about ICE agents -- federal agents coming inside facilities like this, and they're not allowed in. And yet they came in anyway."

This past week, after a DHS video used a clip of agents chasing the two men, Soboroff made a couple of appearances to accuse DHS of exaggerating the accomplishments of federal agents and accuse them of making a "propaganda" video. Appearing on Tuesday's Deadline: White House, here's Soboroff:

...a completely bizarro take on the reality of the situation that they are carrying out all across the country, and particularly in Chicago right now. It's like they're making an episode of Cops. They said we have 1,500 criminals in the caption that we have detained since the beginning of the operation in Chicago. That is preposterous. There is no way that all 1,500 of those people have criminal records other than being undocumented immigrants in this country."

He then went back to the arrest from the bakery and showed surveillance video in which Martinez could be seen fleeing into the bakery right after a federal agent exits an SUV, and then Daniel Prera running inside as well before both of them are caught and arrested.

Even though there are many circumstances when immigration can make arrests without a warrant, Soboroff specified that agents did not have a warrant for Martinez, but then vaguely admitted that he had a criminal record from a decade ago, which he also dismissed as unimportant:

That is Mario Martinez who they didn't have a warrant for -- the other guy in the red shirt. He ended up having a criminal record from over 10 years ago, but his family says he's had a clean record since, but it's not like they went out there looking for him. They are indiscriminately rounding people up.

But, in an online article on msnbc.com, in the 20th paragraph, Soboroff divulged more details that were passed on to him by DHS spokesperson Tricia McLaughlin, who described Martinez as "a criminal illegal alien with an extensive criminal history, including arrests for battery, DUI, domestic abuse, possession of a controlled substance, and two prior removals from the U.S."

Soboroff did not address whether federal agents might have gone to the bakery specifically in search of Martinez since it was previously mentioned by a witness that his wife works there. 

On Wednesday's Katy Tur Reports, the liberal reporter also made the "propaganda" claim and similarly dismissed Martinez's criminal history:

They did later find out that one of the men, Mario Martinez, had a rap sheet from over 10 years ago. His family said that he's been straight with the law ever since, but the point is, these are not targeted actions. Are there targeted actions? Yes, there are. But there aren't enough targeted actions to allow Donald Trump to deport more people than anyone since Barack Obama or Dwight D. Eisenhower.

Transcript follows:

MSNBC's Chris Jansing Reports

October 7, 2025

1:46 p.m. Eastern

JACOB SOBOROFF: What you're looking at on the lefthand side of your screen is federal agents dressed in tactical gear showing up outside a bakery called La Baguette and arresting two men -- one named Mario, one named Daniel. And the reason I wanted to show you this is that these are the scenes that are playing out every single day here in Chicago. And when I say, "the scenes," I mean against sort of the narrative that this administration has had about these being the worst of the worst. Come with me -- I want to show you something.

This is the bakery itself, and this is where it all played out. These agents evidently rolled up on this bakery. These two coffee cups that are right here on the street right now are the two men's coffee cups. Conner, dip the camera down more so that we can see them. They were left here on the side of the road after they were snatched by these immigration agents. And I want to tell you a little bit more about the people were taken. And let me get Rosie who actually was a witness to this playing out earlier today. Come on out, Rosie. Rosie, hey, thank you again. Jacob. We're live on MSNBC. Rosie, you were a witness to what played out. You knew Mario and Daniel? Or just Mario?

ROSIE, WITNESS TO ARREST BY FEDERAL AGENTS: Mario.

SOBOROFF: Tell me about -- well, first, let me ask you: The President says that he's going after the worst of the worst. He came -- their agents came to a large Latino neighborhood -- 90 percent of the people in Cicero are Latino. Is this a dangerous neighborhood? Are there murderers that you see on these streets?

ROSIE: No, not at all. They're good people. I was very concerned. I was so nervous that I started filming, and they were just drinking coffee, and Mario just got out of the hospital. He's very ill. Good people -- no criminals -- they're very good people.

SOBOROFF: The video that we're -- the video that we're showing this video that you took. You saw the agents take the gentlemen when they were inside. Let's just go and show everybody. Come with me, Rosie. So this is the bakery here. The gentlemen were on the inside of the bakery. They were just getting a cup of coffee before going to work? Is that what was happening?

ROSIE: That is correct.

SOBOROFF: And so you saw them being taken by the agents, these were their coffee cups?

ROSIE: Yeah, they were inside the bakery when they came inside to get them.

SOBOROFF: Tell me about -- come with me over here just so we can step out a little bit. Tell me about these men. You know, who are they? You said Mario was sick and just got out of the hospital after seven months.

ROSIE: Yeah, Mario has been a customer for a few years, and he's the husband of Lorena -- the lady in charge of the bakery -- wonderful people like no criminals at all, nothing.

SOBOROFF: And now they've been taken by immigration agents?

ROSIE: Yeah, and he's ill. He needs his medication, and I'm concerned now, you know, and Lorena is concerned, too.

SOBOROFF: And they say, "the worst of the worst." Is that who they picked up?

ROSIE: No, no. They're hard-working men -- like, no, they were just drinking coffee. Not at all.

SOBOROFF: It's really nice to meet you. I'm sorry that this has happened in your neighborhood. I appreciate it. Thank you.

(...)

If this report tells you anything, it's that when they say they're going after the worst of the worst, you make a judgment call for yourself, the viewers at home. But these are the people that they're picking up off the streets of Chicago now as the National Guard rolls in -- as the President starts throwing the word "insurrection" around about what's happening in this country.

(...)

MSNBC's Katy Tur Reports

October 7, 2025

2:20 p.m.

SOBOROFF: And as we were reporting in the previous hour about this incident -- about these federal agents showing up grabbing these two gentlemen as they were getting their coffee and their pastries. One of the cousins of one of the two men, Daniel, showed up and wanted to talk to me because he didn't know where his cousin was or where they were taking him. He allowed us to film some of that conversation, so let me show you that now.

DAVID: They just randomly showed up. He didn't do anything wrong. They just (inaudible) forcefully. They're scaring everyone around now, so I feel like a target, too, even though I'm a U.S. citizen. But --

SOBOROFF: You feel like they would even arrest you?

DAVID: Yeah. At this point, I do.

SOBOROFF: Does your cousin have a family?

DAVID: Yeah, he does -- his mom, dad, everybody here -- his kids.

SOBOROFF: He's got kids, too?

DAVID: Yeah.

SOBOROFF (live): He's got kids, too. And these were guys that were heading -- those were the coffee cups that they left on the side of the road just heading to work. Daniel the cousin of David who I was talking to -- and you can see, "Notice: Private Property." That's about ICE agents -- federal agents coming inside facilities like this, and they're not allowed in. And yet they came in anyway. He was going to be setting up his own as a mechanic here in the western suburbs of Chicago. So, as the National Guard arrives here in Chicago for what the President says is a lawless situation. His federal agents are going after random people on the streets. ...

(...)

It is largely a peaceful day. The only thing out of the ordinary is literally federal agents wearing masks in tactical gear, carrying long rifles, walking up and down the street, driving around in vehicles, and literally taking random people off the street once they ask them for their immigration status.

(...)

Deadline: White House

October 14, 2025

5:39 p.m.

SOBOROFF: "Propaganda" is the word you used in the last segment. That's exactly what this is. When you watch that video -- the DHS -- it was almost on cue after we had the conversation yesterday about the videos that citizens on the streets are taking that are driving people and will drive people to protest like the one that's happening for "No Kings Day" this weekend. They put out these videos literally from Earth 2, as you say -- a completely bizarro take on the reality of the situation that they are carrying out all across the country, and particularly in Chicago right now. It's like they're making an episode of Cops. They said we have 1,500 criminals in the caption that we have detained since the beginning of the operation in Chicago. That is preposterous.

There is no way that all 1,500 of those people have criminal records other than being undocumented immigrants in this country, particularly -- if we could run it back -- the video outside the bakery. And I could just describe to you what we're seeing because I was there. I was there 20 minutes after this video was taken. That guy in the hoodie is Daniel Cabrera. He's 30 years old -- he's a mechanic. He has no criminal record  whatsoever. He has little children, and he is on his way to being deported back to Mexico. That is Mario Martinez who they didn't have a warrant for -- the other guy in the red shirt. He ended up having a criminal record from over 10 years ago, but his family says he's had a clean record since, but it's not like they went out there looking for him. They are indiscriminately rounding people up.

(...)

MSNBC's Katy Tur Reports

October 15, 2025

2:04 p.m.

SOBOROFF: They are creating essentially government propaganda versions of what's really happening on the streets. And scan the QR code that's on the screen if you're watching us on television right now to watch a report that we made -- Kay Guerrero and I -- with the social media team here at MSNBC in response to seeing a DHS video that was put out -- slickly produced, fancy cameras about one of the raids. This is that DHS video right now. That man is Daniel Cabrera. He's 30 years old -- he has no criminal conviction other than being here unauthorized. He has a family. He was on his way to open a shop as a mechanic. And yet they put these Cops-style videos out touting 1,000 plus criminal arrests on the streets of Chicago. These are not all the murderers and rapists and drug dealers that Donald Trump wants you to believe they are.

They are the Maricela's -- they are the Nory Santay Ramos's who got deported to Guatemala with her mother who later died. And there are real consequences to this -- people running through the streets here in Los Angeles after a raid in a Home Depot -- a man ran across the 210 freeway and was hit by a car and killed. Watch what they're doing here. It's only a matter of time before this happens again because of the way that they are just rolling up on people. They present it as if it's some massive takedown needing tactical force when really they're going after ordinary folks.

KATY TUR: Are they specific in who they are targeting? I mean, we've seen them taking people out of cars --

SOBOROFF: No.

TUR: Okay. How are they stopping people then?

SOBOROFF: They're literally rolling up in unmarked -- I mean, in that case it was an unmarked red minivan where they drove to Cicero, Illinois. And why do you think they -- there it is right there. This is the surveillance video. Watch the white coffee cups. They're drinking a cup of coffee. They chase them away from having a cup of coffee. Does that look like a targeted sting operation on organized criminals because it's not?

They did later find out that one of the men, Mario Martinez, had a rap sheet from over 10 years ago. His family said that he's been straight with the law ever since, but the point is, these are not targeted actions. Are there targeted actions? Yes, there are. But there aren't enough targeted actions to allow Donald Trump to deport more people than anyone since Barack Obama or Dwight D. Eisenhower.

 

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