Summary
Juan Espinoza Martinez, a suspected Latin Kings leader, was arrested in Chicago on a murder-for-hire charge for allegedly offering a bounty to kill a federal immigration officer.
Key Facts
- Suspect: Juan Espinoza Martinez, 37, Chicago resident, alleged Latin Kings leader
- Charge: Murder for hire
- Target: U.S. Border Patrol Chief Gregory Bovino, Commander at Large
- Bounty Offered: $10,000 to kill, $2,000 for information
- Arrest Date: October 6, 2025
- Location: Chicago, Illinois
- Gang: Latin Kings (notorious for violent crimes and drug trafficking)
- Immigration Status: Martinez is from Mexico, entered the U.S. illegally
Details
- Martinez allegedly sent Snapchat messages offering cash bounties to capture and kill a federal immigration officer involved in “Operation Midway Blitz.”
- The messages included photos of the targeted officer and were sent under the handle “monkeys—” and the name “Juan.”
- Martinez ordered Latin Kings members to obtain firearms and patrol gang territory after a police-involved shooting in Chicago’s Brighton Park neighborhood.
- The criminal complaint was unsealed by the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Illinois.
Law Enforcement Response
- U.S. Attorney Andrew S. Boutros called the plot “an attack on the rule of law.”
- Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche said the case reflects the Justice Department’s renewed focus on combating gang violence.
- Federal agents in Chicago carried out operations targeting suspected Tren de Aragua gang members and other violent groups.
Related Incidents
- On the same weekend, federal agents arrested two suspects accused of ramming government vehicles: Marimar Martinez (shot and wounded) and Anthony Ian Santos Ruiz (taken into custody).
- Between Friday evening and Sunday night, 29 people were shot and four killed in Chicago, according to police.
Sources
- Fox News
- Department of Justice
- Chicago Police
- U.S. Attorney’s Office
This file summarizes the key facts about the alleged murder-for-hire plot involving Juan Espinoza Martinez, the Latin Kings, and a federal immigration officer in Chicago.