The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) announced Friday that federal authorities have arrested a criminal illegal immigrant and alleged member of the Latin Kings street gang who is accused of placing a bounty on the head of U.S. Border Patrol Chief Gregory Bovino.
DHS officials say a confidential source came forward on October 3, 2025, reporting that a Latin Kings member had ordered a “hit” against Chief Bovino. Following that tip, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s (ICE) Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) unit worked to identify the suspect, determined to be Juan Espinoza Martinez, who was taken into custody on October 6 in Burr Ridge, Illinois.
According to HSI Chicago, investigators received a screenshot of a Snapchat conversation from a user named “Juan,” in which messages appeared to offer a $2,000 bounty for information “cuando lo agarren” (Spanish for “when they catch him”) and a $10,000 reward “if you take him down.” Those posts, HSI says, formed the basis for the investigation that led to Martinez’s arrest.
The Department of Justice has charged Juan Espinoza Martinez with soliciting the murder of a senior federal law enforcement official — a federal offense that underscores how seriously authorities are treating threats against government personnel. Federal law enforcement agencies emphasized that they are coordinating closely to ensure the safety of agents and to pursue anyone who would put bounties on the heads of public servants.
“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,” said Assistant Secretary Tricia McLaughlin, condemning the alleged plot and praising the investigative work that led to the arrest.
“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,” McLaughlin added, reflecting DHS leadership’s firm posture on threats to federal personnel.
The arrest comes as DHS Secretary Kristi Noem revealed over the weekend that federal officers have increasingly been targeted by organized criminal groups. In remarks to Fox & Friends Weekend, Noem said that intelligence indicates “gangs, cartel members, and known terrorist organizations” have placed bounties on federal officers, escalating the level of danger facing agents in the field.
Noem described an incident in Chicago she characterized as particularly violent: federal agents were reportedly followed and cornered by a caravan of about ten vehicles, and attackers allegedly attempted to run down agents while armed with semi-automatic handguns. According to Noem, agents were forced to defend themselves, shots were fired, and one individual involved in the attack was hospitalized. She said the attackers had previously threatened agents and had shouted expletives at them during confrontations.
“These reports show an organized, coordinated threat,” Noem warned, stating that intelligence suggested the perpetrators were deliberately targeting officers and sharing images and bounties across criminal networks. “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, adding that images of targeted personnel had been circulated among these networks.
When pressed about who was behind the bounties, Noem attributed the actions to a range of hostile actors, saying it included “gangs, cartel members and known terrorist organizations,” including foreign terrorist organizations designated by the president as well as long-standing criminal groups known to law enforcement. She framed the attacks as part of a broader effort by criminal networks to protect their revenue streams and obstruct law enforcement operations.
“Noem argued that these threats are not protests or free speech; they’re criminal solicitations to carry out violence,” officials quoted her saying. “They’re actually going out there and saying kill these people and we’ll give you money to do it.”
Federal officials stressed that the Martinez arrest demonstrates active investigative work and interagency cooperation. ICE HSI and other partners continue to pursue leads, monitor social-media channels for threats, and provide protection to individuals deemed at risk. Authorities also encouraged anyone with information to come forward, and reiterated that threats against federal employees will be prosecuted aggressively.
As the case moves forward, Martinez faces federal prosecution — and if convicted, the charges related to soliciting murder of a federal official carry severe penalties. Meanwhile, DHS leaders reiterated their commitment to protecting personnel and dismantling networks that attempt to intimidate or harm law enforcement through bounties and organized violence.