The Department of Homeland Security announced Friday that federal agents have arrested a criminal illegal immigrant and alleged Latin Kings gang member accused of placing a bounty on U.S. Border Patrol Chief Gregory Bovino. Authorities say the arrest disrupted a serious threat against a senior federal law enforcement official.
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According to DHS, the investigation began on October 3, 2025, when a confidential source warned that a Latin Kings member had ordered a “hit” on Bovino. Homeland Security Investigations later identified the suspect as Juan Espinoza Martinez, who was arrested three days later, on October 6, in Burr Ridge, Illinois.
Investigators said HSI Chicago obtained a screenshot of a Snapchat conversation from a user named “Juan” offering a $2,000 bounty for information on Bovino’s whereabouts and a $10,000 reward for killing him. The messages included references to “LK,” which authorities say confirmed the involvement of the Latin Kings street gang.
The Department of Justice has charged Martinez with soliciting the murder of a senior federal law enforcement official. DHS Assistant Secretary Tricia McLaughlin said the arrest sends a clear message that threats against officers will not be tolerated, calling Martinez a violent criminal who has no place in the country.
Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem expanded on the threat in a weekend interview, warning that federal agents are increasingly being targeted by gangs, cartels, and even known terrorist organizations. She described the emergence of cash bounties on officers’ heads as an unprecedented danger facing federal law enforcement.
Noem also detailed a recent violent incident in Chicago in which federal agents were followed, surrounded by multiple vehicles, and confronted by armed suspects, forcing officers to fire in self-defense. She said intelligence indicates these threats are organized and deliberate, adding that criminals are openly offering thousands of dollars to kidnap or kill officers in an effort to disrupt federal enforcement operations.[/read]