Latino Gang Banger Busted In Alleged Plot to Assassinate Border Patrol Chief

The Department of Homeland Security announced Friday that federal authorities arrested a criminal illegal immigrant and alleged Latin Kings gang member accused of placing a bounty on U.S. Border Patrol Chief Gregory Bovino — a development Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem called part of an “unprecedented” campaign to target federal officers.

U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s (ICE) Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) unit identified the suspect as Juan Espinoza Martinez, who was taken into custody on October 6 in Burr Ridge, Illinois after a confidential tip on October 3, 2025 alerted authorities that a “hit” had been ordered against Chief Bovino.

According to DHS, HSI Chicago obtained a screenshot of a Snapchat conversation from a user named “Juan” that appeared to offer a $2,000 bounty for information “cuando lo agarren,” which translates to “when they catch him,” and a $10,000 reward “if you take him down.” A third reply in the thread read “LK….on him,” which DHS says indicates Latin Kings involvement.

The Department of Justice has charged Espinoza Martinez with soliciting the murder of a senior federal law enforcement official.

DHS officials emphasized the gravity of the threat. Assistant Secretary Tricia McLaughlin said, “Depraved individuals like Juan Espinoza Martinez – who do not value human life and threaten law enforcement– do NOT belong in this country. We will not allow criminal gangs to put hits on U.S. government officials and our law enforcement officers.” She added: “Thanks to ICE and our federal law enforcement partners, this thug is off our streets and behind bars. These attacks on our brave law enforcement officers must END. Secretary Noem has been crystal clear: If you threaten or lay a hand on law enforcement, you will be prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law.”

Noem told Fox & Friends Weekend that intelligence indicates organized networks — including gangs, cartel members, and known terrorist organizations — have placed bounties on federal officers and are actively sharing photos and payment offers across their networks.

She described a recent violent episode in Chicago in which agents were reportedly cornered by a caravan of vehicles, faced vehicle-ramming attempts, and encountered suspects armed with semi-automatic handguns. Her account included claims that agents “had to protect themselves, and shots were fired,” and that one attacker was hospitalized.

Noem warned of a widening and coordinated risk: “We have specific officers and agents that have bounties that have been put out on their heads. It’s been $2,000 to kidnap them, $10,000 to kill them,” she said. “They’ve released their pictures. They’ve sent them between their networks, and it’s an extremely dangerous situation and unprecedented.”

Asked who is behind the bounties, Noem said they include “gangs, cartel members and known terrorist organizations, so foreign terrorist organizations as deemed by the president but also ones that we have known for many, many years.” She warned the goal is to disrupt federal enforcement operations that interfere with criminal revenue streams.

The arrests and allegations come amid an environment of heightened tensions between federal law-enforcement teams and local protestors in some cities. DHS and ICE officials say recent weeks have seen coordinated attempts to obstruct and attack federal personnel — a trend the department insists must be met with firm, expedited federal law enforcement response.