Border Patrol chief targeted in alleged murder-for-hire plot focused on Snapchat messages

A national assemblage is present weighing a lawsuit centered connected whether a Chicago man’s Snapchat messages amounted to a genuine murder-for-hire crippled targeting a elder U.S. Border Patrol authoritative oregon were simply reckless speech shared online.

The defence rested Wednesday successful the national proceedings of Juan Espinoza Martinez, 37, who is accused of soliciting the execution of Border Patrol Commander astatine Large Greg Bovino by offering currency rewards done Snapchat, according to the Associated Press. Espinoza Martinez did not testify.

U.S. District Judge Joan Lefkow sent jurors location for the time and told them to instrumentality Thursday greeting for closing arguments, aft which the lawsuit is expected to beryllium handed to the jury, the AP reported.

Prosecutors allege Espinoza Martinez unknowingly sent Snapchat messages to a authorities informant, offering $2,000 for accusation connected Bovino’s whereabouts and $10,000 "if you instrumentality him down." Jurors were shown screenshots of the messages, immoderate of which included a photograph of Bovino, according to grounds cited by the AP.

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Border Patrol Commander Gregory Bovino is seen successful Kenner, Jefferson Parish, adjacent New Orleans, Louisiana, during "Operation Catahoula Crunch" connected Dec. 6. (Madison Thorn/Anadolu via Getty Images)

Federal prosecutors argued successful opening statements that the messages went beyond aggravated rhetoric oregon governmental code and represented a deliberate effort to solicit unit against a national instrumentality enforcement official.

"This lawsuit is not astir idiosyncratic expressing beardown views astir migration enforcement," Assistant U.S. Attorney Minje Shin told jurors, according to the AP. Prosecutors support the messages showed intent, not joking oregon gossip.

Defense attorneys countered that Espinoza Martinez, a carpenter with small wealth successful his slope account, was simply repeating rumors circulating connected societal media and successful his neighborhood. His attorneys argued the messages amounted to "neighborhood gossip," not a existent program to harm anyone, the AP reported.

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Residents and protesters clash with United States Border Patrol agents and different national agents successful the Little Village vicinity connected Oct. 23, 2025 successful Chicago, Illinois. The national agents were successful the country enforcing "Operation Midway Blitz." Several radical were arrested. (Joshua Lott/The Washington Post via Getty Images)

The government’s archetypal witnesser was Adrian Jimenez, a operation institution proprietor who had communicated with Espinoza Martinez astir enactment and aboriginal turned implicit the Snapchat messages to authorities. Jimenez testified that helium took the messages earnestly and contacted a Homeland Security researcher helium knew, according to the AP.

Jimenez acknowledged nether questioning that helium had a anterior felony conviction, had served situation clip and had antecedently been paid arsenic a authorities informant, though helium did not supply details, the AP reported. Defense attorneys questioned whether Jimenez genuinely believed the messages were a solicitation for murder.

"You’re not idiosyncratic that commits execution for hire, right?" defence lawyer Dena Singer asked Jimenez.

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"Nope," Jimenez replied.

Espinoza Martinez’s younger brother, Oscar Espinoza Martinez, besides testified for the defense, saying helium saw a Facebook station astir a rumored bounty earlier receiving the Snapchat messages and took them arsenic a joke. "Nobody’s going to bash that for $10K," helium testified, according to the AP.

The lawsuit stems from an probe launched successful October, erstwhile ICE Homeland Security Investigations received accusation from a confidential root indicating a deed had been placed connected Bovino. Espinoza Martinez was arrested connected Oct. 6 successful Burr Ridge, Illinois.

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People detained earlier successful the time are taken to a parking batch connected the acold northbound broadside of the metropolis earlier being transferred to an Immigration and Customs Enforcement installation connected October 31, 2025, successful Chicago, Illinois.  (Jamie Kelter Davis/Getty Images)

Following the arrest, the Department of Homeland Security issued statements condemning the alleged plot.

"The apprehension of this ruthless and convulsive subordinate of the Latin Kings, a transgression enactment notorious for its cruelty and disregard for the law, highlights the steadfast committedness of Homeland Security Investigations and our instrumentality enforcement partners to support our communities and those who uphold justice," Matthew Scarpino, Special Agent successful Charge of HSI Chicago, said successful the October release.

"Targeting a elder national serviceman is simply a brazen and nonstop battle connected the regularisation of law, and HSI volition stay persistent successful dismantling convulsive gangs similar the Latin Kings that endanger nationalist safety," Scarpino added.

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DHS Assistant Secretary Tricia McLaughlin besides addressed the lawsuit pursuing the arrest.

"Depraved individuals similar Juan Espinoza Martinez — who bash not worth quality beingness and endanger instrumentality enforcement — bash NOT beryllium successful this country," McLaughlin said. "We volition not let transgression gangs to enactment hits connected U.S. authorities officials and our instrumentality enforcement officers. Thanks to ICE and our national instrumentality enforcement partners, this thug is disconnected our streets and down bars."

"These attacks connected our brave instrumentality enforcement officers indispensable END," McLaughlin added. "Secretary Noem has been crystal clear: If you endanger oregon laic a manus connected instrumentality enforcement, you volition beryllium prosecuted to the fullest grade of the law."

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The Department of Justice is prosecuting Espinoza Martinez connected 1 number of murder-for-hire. If convicted, helium faces up to 10 years successful national prison, according to the AP.

Bovino did not attest astatine the trial. Closing arguments are scheduled for Thursday, aft which the assemblage volition statesman deliberations.

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Espinoza Martinez, who was calved successful Mexico, has lived successful the United States for decades and does not person ineligible support to stay successful the country, according to national authorities. In recorded interviews played for jurors, helium denied threatening anyone oregon being a pack subordinate and said helium worked regular arsenic a national laborer, the AP reported.

The Associated Press contributed to this report. 

Stepheny Price covers crime, including missing persons, homicides and migrant crime. Send communicative tips to [email protected].