An alleged high-ranking Chicago gang member has been charged with soliciting the murder of U.S. Border Patrol field boss Gregory Bovino, the tough-talking commander at the forefront of the Trump administration’s ongoing immigration enforcement push “Operation Midway Blitz.”
Juan Espinoza Martinez, 37, of Chicago, was arrested Monday morning and charged in a criminal complaint unsealed Monday with one count of solicitation of murder-for-hire. A court appearance has not yet been set, and it was unclear if Martinez had a lawyer.
According to the complaint, Martinez, a ranking member of the Latin Kings, told a law enforcement source after an immigration agent shot a woman in the Brighton Park neighborhood “that he had dispatched members of the Latin Kings to the area of the 39th and Kedzie … in response to the shooting.”
That area in Brighton Park has historically been controlled by the Two-Six gang, which is one of the Latin Kings’ chief rivals.
On Sunday, the source showed a screenshot to law enforcement that had been sent to him by Martinez depicting a conversation Martinez had with an unknown individual, according to the complaint. In that conversation, Martinez allegedly said “lets get some guys out here bro.” The other person wrote back, “Let one of us be infront with the (green gun emoji)” the complaint stated.
The law enforcement source also shared Snapchat messages that Martinez had sent him saying, “2k on information when you get him” and “10k if u take him down,” according to the complaint.
The message also stated “LK on him,” which was a reference to the Latin Kings, the complaint alleged.
The law enforcement source has a prior conviction for a “violent offense” but is not currently under any investigation, stated the complaint, which added the source “may be assisting law enforcement in the hopes of future payment.”
Included in the message was a photo of Bovino, who has recently participated in immigration enforcement operations in Chicago on behalf of the U.S. Border Patrol, according to a law enforcement source and the complaint, which identifies Bovino only as a senior Border Patrol official.
The complaint stated law enforcement had Martinez under surveillance Saturday as he drove his red 2014 Ford pickup truck in the area of 24th Street and South Drake Avenue, which is “known to be Latin Kings territory.”
“Putting a price on the life of a law enforcement officer is an attack on the rule of law,” Chicago U.S. Attorney Andrew Boutros said in a statement announcing the charges. “The defendant’s actions in this case demonstrate a profound contempt for human life and public safety.
Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche said the allegations were an “attack on the rule of law and on every American who depends on law enforcement to keep them safe.”
Bovino, the buzz-cut, fatigues-wearing chief, has been one of the key public faces of the Midway Blitz operation, with social media posts and interviews on the ground that have painted the immigration sweep in militaristic terms.
Since arriving in Chicago in mid-September, Bovino has been present at several high-profile raids, including a large-scale operation in the South Shore neighborhood last week that involved dozens of agents, helicopters and flash-bang grenades.
jmeisner@chicagotribune.com
Originally Published: October 6, 2025 at 3:36 PM CDT