U.S. authorities announced on Monday that they have charged an alleged member of the Chicago street gang known as the Latin Kings with one count of murder-for-hire in a plot against an immigration enforcement official involved in “Operation Midway Blitz.” A criminal complaint filed in the U.S. District Court in Chicago identified the suspect as Juan Espinoza Martinez, 37, of Chicago, and said he offered $2,000 for information on the officer and $10,000 to “take him down” in a Snapchat message.
According to court documents, Martinez’s message included a photo of the targeted senior law enforcement official.
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Prosecutors accuse Martinez of being a member of a gang that has committed acts of violence and illegal activities in Chicago and other places.
DOJ’s response
“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,” Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche said in a statement. “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.”
A court appearance for Martinez has not yet been scheduled.
Noem’s prior comments on bounties
The alleged “ranking” gang member’s arrest and announced charges come after Department of Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem said Sunday on “Fox & Friends Weekend” that cartels and other organized crime groups have placed bounties on specific immigration enforcement agents.
She did not specify the exact cases but said that there have been offers of “$2,000 to kidnap them” and “$10,000 to kill them.” She added that “they’ve released pictures, they’ve sent them between their networks and it’s an extremely dangerous situation, and unprecedented.”
Her statement came just a day after immigration authorities shot a woman in Chicago amid Operation Midway Blitz in Illinois and accused her of using her car to ram agents as well as carrying a firearm. U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) has faced scrutiny among immigration rights advocates after high-profile incidents involving violent confrontations between ICE agents and civilians.
