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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 working with “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 a single count of murder for hire.
Martinez was taken into custody Monday morning, though his initial court appearance has not yet been scheduled.
U.S. Attorney Andrew S. Boutros called the alleged plot “an attack on the rule of law.”
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An image showing the alleged Snapchat avatar of Juan Espinoza Martinez, a suspected Latin Kings leader accused of offering cash bounties to kill a federal immigration officer. Martinez was arrested on Oct. 6, 2025, in Chicago. (Department of Justice)
“Putting a price on the life of a law enforcement officer is an attack on the rule of law,” Boutros said. “The defendant’s actions in this case 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 across Chicago.
The complaint alleges Martinez sent Snapchat messages that read, “2k on information when you get him” and “10k if you take him down.”
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A Snapchat message allegedly sent by Juan Espinoza Martinez offering cash bounties to capture and kill a federal immigration officer. (Department of Justice)
In the exchange, Martinez used the handle “monkeys—” and the name “Juan,” according to investigators.
The message included a photo of a senior Border Patrol officer involved in immigration enforcement operations in Chicago as part of U.S. Customs and Border Protection’s “Operation Midway Blitz.”
The complaint says a confidential source told investigators that after a police-involved shooting on Oct. 4, 2025, involving Border Patrol agents in Chicago’s Brighton Park neighborhood, Martinez sent Latin Kings members to 39th and Kedzie in response.
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The source said Martinez ordered members to obtain firearms and patrol the area around 26th Street and South Drake Avenue to defend Latin Kings territory.
Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche said the case reflects 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 — taking back every neighborhood and street corner from violent thugs and criminal gangs and returning them to the law-abiding members of our communities.”
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The arrest followed 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; the other, Anthony Ian Santos Ruiz, was taken into custody in a separate but similar incident.
L-R: Anthony Ian Santos Ruiz and Marimar Martinez. (Department of Justice)
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Marimar Martinez’s shooting was among 22 incidents between 6 p.m. Friday and 11:59 p.m. Sunday, leaving 29 people shot and four dead, according to Chicago police.
Fox News Digital’s Michael Ruiz contributed to this report.