By Steve Neavling
A Chicago man was charged in federal court Monday with plotting to kill a senior U.S. Border Patrol official, offering thousands of dollars on Snapchat for the murder, authorities said.
Prosecutors allege that Juan Espinoza Martinez, 37, offered $10,000 for the killing of the official, identified by the Department of Homeland Security as Gregory Bovino, who has played a leading role in immigration enforcement efforts in Los Angeles and Chicago.
According to an affidavit from a Homeland Security Investigations agent, Martinez posted a message last week with a photo of Bovino that read, “$2,000 for info on him or 10k if u take him down,” The New York Times reports.
“Putting a price on the life of a law enforcement officer is an attack on the rule of law,” said Andrew S. Boutros, the U.S. attorney in Chicago.
Investigators also allege that Martinez sent messages Saturday directing gang members to an area where a federal agent had shot someone.
It’s unclear if Martinez has an attorney. The Department of Homeland Security said he is from Mexico and living in the U.S. illegally.
Bovino has become a polarizing figure for his aggressive tactics and outspoken defense of immigration raids, including Operation Midway Blitz, a Chicago-area enforcement campaign that has drawn protests and criticism from state and local officials.
