In a surprising twist, the sole Operation Midway Blitz trial involving an alleged murder-for-hire scheme concluded this week with a not guilty verdict in Chicago, as reported by WLS.

This outcome has left legal analysts astounded, particularly given the office’s historical conviction rate, which typically exceeds 90%, according to insights shared with the ABC7 I-Team.

ABC7 Chicago is now streaming 24/7. Click here to watch

Among the individuals implicated were Marimar Martinez, labeled a domestic terrorist by the Department of Homeland Security, who survived being shot five times by a federal immigration officer after accusations of attacking Border Patrol vehicles last October. Luci Mazur faced charges of resisting a federal officer during a protest at the Broadview ICE facility in September. Nathan Griffin, the manager of the Laugh Factory comedy club, was also charged with assaulting a federal officer in October.

However, as the cases approached trial, the U.S. Attorney’s Office in Chicago decided to dismiss the federal criminal charges against all three individuals connected to Operation Midway Blitz.

Christopher Parente, a former Assistant U.S. Attorney, commented on the situation, remarking, “In a traditional investigative system, this wouldn’t occur. The focus seems to have shifted towards quick press releases rather than securing convictions.”

Now a defense attorney, Parente represented Martinez in her case and tells the I-Team the dynamics of the U.S. Attorney’s Office have radically changed from his perspective. He’s also representing one of the Broadview Six, charged with damaging government property at a protest in September.

“These federal prosecutors could be doing human trafficking cases, child exploitation cases, fraud cases, public corruption cases, all the stuff that the people of this district actually care about. They do not care about some broken windshield wiper,” Parente said.

Attorneys for Juan Espinoza-Martinez echoed that sentiment after their client was found not guilty this week in an alleged murder for hire plot against Border Patrol Commander Gregory Bovino, saying in part, “Twelve ordinary citizens stood between an overreaching government and an innocent man. They demanded proof, not politics. This verdict is a reminder that juries see through political prosecutions.”

The dropped charges and not guilty verdict come at a time when the U.S. Attorney’s Office is bleeding talent. At least seven top prosecutors are part of an unprecedented leadership exodus from the Northern District of Illinois this year, not counting one of the lead attorneys on the Espinoza-Martinez case who also resigned unexpectedly.

“People don’t typically become federal prosecutors because they want to, they want to handle immigration cases, and that seems to be the focus of the office right now,” Parente said.

The U.S. Attorney’s Office has brought 31 non-immigration criminal cases to court related to Operation Midway Blitz. So far, there have been zero convictions.

The I-Team reached out to the U.S. Attorney’s Office, but they declined to comment.