Under the leadership of former President Donald Trump and current DHS Secretary Kristi Noem, federal officials are intensifying their efforts to combat the growing threat of organized criminal groups engaging in violent acts against U.S. immigration enforcement agents. The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) has issued a stark warning that Mexican criminal organizations are allegedly funding a bounty system offering up to $50,000 for the assassination of senior officials within the Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agency. This alleged scheme, with payouts escalating based on the rank of the target, is part of a broader pattern of organized crime targeting law enforcement in the United States, particularly in areas with high concentrations of unauthorized immigrants.
The revelation is rooted in an investigation conducted by the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) which uncovered a plot involving a gang in Chicago’s Pilsen and Little Village neighborhoods. These groups are alleged to have coordinated with criminal associates in Mexico to establish a structured bounty system, which reportedly includes rewards of $2,000 for intelligence gathering or doxxing agents, $5,000 to $10,000 for non-lethal attacks on immigration officers, and the highest reward of $50,000 for the killing of a high-ranking official within ICE. According to sources, gang members have been using rooftop “spotters” to monitor law enforcement activity, with communication conducted via radio, highlighting the sophistication of the alleged plot.
One of the most significant cases emerged with the arrest of Juan Espinoza Martinez, a 37-year-old suspect identified as a leader within the Latin Kings gang. Martinez is alleged to have attempted to solicit a hit on a senior ICE officer, Commander Gregory Bovino, during the operation known as Midway Blitz. This operation, launched by ICE and Border Patrol, aims to dismantle the presence of sanctuary cities in Illinois by targeting illegal immigrants who exploit local policies to evade federal immigration enforcement. The arrest was confirmed following the unsealing of a criminal complaint by the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Illinois, which charges Martinez with conspiracy to commit murder for hire.
As part of its broader crackdown, DHS announced on October 3 that over 1,000 illegal immigrants were arrested in Illinois during the Midway Blitz initiative, which was launched in honor of Katie Abraham, a woman killed in a hit-and-run crash in Illinois earlier this year, reportedly caused by an illegal migrant from Guatemala. The operation also included targeted actions against suspected members of the Tren de Aragua gang, a notorious criminal network operating in the United States. Authorities described the initiative as a critical step in addressing the threat posed by criminal gangs that are believed to be organizing and financing violent acts against U.S. immigration agents.
Speaking on the matter, DHS Assistant Secretary Tricia McLaughlin condemned the alleged bounty system, stating that individuals like Martinez—who are described as “depraved” and threatening to law enforcement—do not belong in the United States. The statement emphasizes the administration’s commitment to protecting federal law enforcement officers and dismantling networks that seek to undermine the integrity of immigration enforcement. However, the situation has also raised concerns about the potential for retaliatory violence and the risks faced by both officers and the communities they serve.