Federal agents say they stopped a murder before it happened. A senior U.S. Border Patrol chief allegedly had a price put on his head — and the man accused of organizing the hit was already inside the country illegally. Tied to a violent street gang, using social media, he allegedly hunted for the chief’s loca… Continues…
According to federal investigators, the alleged plot against Border Patrol Chief Gregory Bovino began with a confidential informant’s warning: someone tied to the Latin Kings was offering cash to track and ultimately kill a senior border official. That tip triggered an urgent Homeland Security Investigations operation that quickly homed in on Juan Espinoza Martinez in Burr Ridge, Illinois. Online messages attributed to Martinez reportedly detailed payments for surveillance and a larger bounty for lethal violence, language that officials say left little doubt the threat was both coordinated and real.
Agents moved before anyone could act on the offer, arresting Martinez without incident in suburban Chicago. The Justice Department has now charged him with soliciting the murder of a senior federal law enforcement officer, a felony carrying the potential for extreme prison time. DHS leaders say the case is a stark warning to gangs and criminal networks: targeting federal officers will be met with immediate, unforgiving consequences.
