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.