Federal brokers in Chicago on Monday arrested a suspected Latin Kings chief accused of providing money bounties to seize and kill a senior immigration officer working with “Operation Halfway Blitz.”
The US Lawyer’s Workplace for the Northern District of Illinois unsealed a prison criticism Monday charging 37-year-old Chicago resident Juan Espinoza Martinez with a single rely of homicide for rent.
The Division of Homeland Safety (DHS) recognized the official Martinez allegedly positioned a bounty on as Commander at Giant of the US Border Patrol Chief Gregory Bovino.
Martinez was taken into custody Monday morning, although his preliminary courtroom look has not but been scheduled.
US Lawyer Andrew S. Boutros referred to as the alleged plot “an assault on the rule of regulation.”
“Placing a worth on the lifetime of a regulation enforcement officer is an assault on the rule of regulation,” Boutros mentioned.
“The defendant’s actions on this case show a profound contempt for human life and public security. Beneath my management, the US Lawyer’s Workplace in Chicago will maintain defendants accountable for his or her grave prison actions and make sure that no federal officer has to concern for his or her life for doing their job.”
Based on the criticism, Martinez is a rating member of the Latin Kings, a gang infamous for violent crimes and drug trafficking throughout Chicago. DHS mentioned Martinez is from Mexico and entered the US illegally at an unknown date and time.
The criticism alleges Martinez despatched Snapchat messages that learn, “2k on info once you get him” and “10k when you take him down.”
Within the alternate, Martinez used the deal with “monkeys—” and the title “Juan,” in keeping with investigators.
The message included a photograph of a senior Border Patrol officer concerned in immigration enforcement operations in Chicago as a part of US Customs and Border Safety’s “Operation Halfway Blitz.”
The criticism says a confidential supply advised investigators that after a police-involved capturing on Oct. 4, 2025, involving Border Patrol brokers in Chicago’s Brighton Park neighborhood, Martinez despatched Latin Kings members to thirty ninth and Kedzie in response.
The supply mentioned Martinez ordered members to acquire firearms and patrol the world round twenty sixth Road and South Drake Avenue to defend Latin Kings territory.
Deputy Lawyer Normal Todd Blanche mentioned the case displays the Justice Division’s renewed give attention to combating gang violence.
“Putting a bounty on the top of a federal officer is an assault on the rule of regulation and on each American who will depend on regulation enforcement to maintain them secure,” Blanche mentioned.
“This case is strictly what we imply after we say Take Again America — taking again each neighborhood and road nook from violent thugs and prison gangs and returning them to the law-abiding members of our communities.”
The arrest adopted a violent weekend in Chicago marked by a number of shootings and clashes with regulation enforcement.
On Saturday, federal brokers arrested two individuals accused of ramming authorities automobiles. One suspect, Marimar Martinez, was shot and wounded; the opposite, Anthony Ian Santos Ruiz, was taken into custody in a separate however related incident.
Marimar Martinez’s capturing was amongst 22 incidents between 6 p.m. Friday and 11:59 p.m. Sunday, leaving 29 individuals shot and 4 useless, in keeping with Chicago police.
Fox Information Digital’s Michael Ruiz contributed to this report.
