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3h ago

Alleged Latin Kings Leader Charged in $10,000 Murder-for-Hire Plot Targeting Border Patrol Chief Gregory Bovino

An unsealed complaint cites Snapchat messages, a confidential source, plus surveillance tying Juan Espinoza Martinez to the alleged solicitation.

The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) said Juan Espinoza Martinez, a Mexican national, entered the United States at an unknown date.
Gregory Bovino, a U.S. Border Patrol official, stands with other federal agents near the Newberry Library in Chicago’s Gold Coast on Sept. 28, 2025, after walking through downtown as part of an immigration blitz show of force. (Brian Cassella/Chicago Tribune)
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Overview

  • Federal prosecutors on Oct. 6 charged Juan Espinoza Martinez, 37, with one count of murder-for-hire and said his first court appearance has not yet been scheduled.
  • Investigators say Snapchat posts offered $2,000 for information on the official and $10,000 to kill him, and included a photo of the target.
  • DHS identified the official referenced in the complaint as U.S. Border Patrol Commander Gregory Bovino, who has led Operation Midway Blitz enforcement activity in Chicago.
  • The filing describes Martinez as a ranking Latin Kings member and says subscriber records, a phone number tied to his CashApp account, and surveillance linked him to the communications.
  • The complaint also recounts a source’s claim that Martinez deployed gang members after an Oct. 4 Border Patrol-involved shooting in Brighton Park; prosecutors stress the defendant is presumed innocent.