Alleged Chicago gang leader offered bounty to kill Border Patrol commander
Juan Espinoza Martinez, a suspected Latin Kings leader is accused of offering cash bounties to kill a federal immigration officer. Martinez was arrested on Oct. 6, 2025, in Chicago. Department of Homeland security
CHICAGO — Federal agents in Chicago on Monday arrested a suspected Latin Kings leader accused of offering cash bounties to capture and kill a senior immigration officer involved in “Operation Midway Blitz.”
The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Illinois unsealed a criminal complaint Monday charging 37-year-old Chicago resident Juan Espinoza Martinez with one count of murder for hire. The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) identified the target of the alleged bounty as Gregory Bovino, Commander at Large of the U.S. Border Patrol.
Martinez was taken into custody Monday morning. His initial court appearance has not yet been scheduled.
“Putting a price on the life of a law enforcement officer is an attack on the rule of law,” said U.S. Attorney Andrew S. Boutros. “The defendant’s actions demonstrate a profound contempt for human life and public safety. Under my leadership, the U.S. Attorney’s Office in Chicago will hold defendants accountable for their grave criminal actions and ensure that no federal officer has to fear for their life for doing their job.”
According to the complaint, Martinez is a ranking member of the Latin Kings, a gang notorious for violent crimes and drug trafficking throughout Chicago. DHS said Martinez is originally from Mexico and entered the United States illegally at an unknown time.
Investigators say Martinez sent Snapchat messages offering cash rewards, writing “2k on information when you get him” and “10k if you take him down.” Martinez allegedly used the handle “monkeys—” and the name “Juan” in the exchanges, which included a photo of the senior Border Patrol officer.
The complaint also notes that after a police-involved shooting on October 4, 2025, in Chicago’s Brighton Park neighborhood, Martinez allegedly dispatched Latin Kings members to 39th and Kedzie, instructing them to obtain firearms and patrol the area around 26th Street and South Drake Avenue to defend gang territory.
Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche said the arrest underscores the Justice Department’s renewed focus on combating gang violence.
“Placing a bounty on the head of a federal officer is an attack on the rule of law and on every American who depends on law enforcement to keep them safe,” Blanche said. “This case is exactly what we mean when we say Take Back America — reclaiming neighborhoods from violent thugs and criminal gangs and returning them to law-abiding members of our communities.”
The arrest comes amid a violent weekend in Chicago, marked by multiple shootings and clashes with law enforcement. On Saturday, federal agents arrested two people accused of ramming government vehicles. One suspect, Marimar Martinez, was shot and wounded; another, Anthony Ian Santos Ruiz, was taken into custody in a separate but related incident. Chicago police reported that between 6 p.m. Friday and 11:59 p.m. Sunday, 29 people were shot and four were killed across the city.
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