chicago — Jury selection began Tuesday in the trial of a man accused of offering a $10,000 reward for a man’s life Border Guard Commander Behind the immigration campaign in chicago last year.
Juan Espinoza Martinez, 37, faces a murder-for-hire charge. Federal prosecutors allege he was a “senior member” of the Latin Kings gang who offered a cash incentive to kill Gregory Bovino. The Border Patrol official has been the public face of the Trump administration’s combative immigration operations, including in the United States ca, North Carolina And Minnesota.
Espinoza Martinez is the first person to be criminally prosecuted in connection with the crackdown in and around the country’s third-largest city. Bovino and the Trump administration have held up the case as an example of the heightened risks federal agents face.
But a slew of federal lawsuits have occurred It fueled doubts On the Trump administration’s narrative regarding the Chicago operation. Of the nearly 30 criminal cases stemming from Operation Midway Blitz, charges were dropped or dropped in about half. In a landmark lawsuit that forced Bovino to sit for depositions, a federal judge found He lied under oath including alleged gang threats.
Days before Espinoza Martinez’s trial, prosecutors acknowledged they had no evidence to prove their ties to gangs, prompting U.S. Judge Joan Lefkow To prevent questioning regarding the Latin Kings.
Espinoza Martinez, who has pleaded not guilty, wore a dark suit and tie to court and watched the proceedings intently. He has been in federal custody since October when he was arrested.
Born in Mexico, he has lived in the United States for more than 30 years. He does not have legal permission to remain in the United States.
His family and lawyers say he is not a gang member. The father of three children worked as a carpenter.
“The evidence of Mr. Martinez’s intent is very weak,” defense attorney Jonathan Peddie told the judge before jurors were present.
Prosecutors allege Espinoza Martinez sent a Snapchat message in October to other gang members, which read in part, “10k if you take him down,” along with a photo of Bovino. He also allegedly offered $2,000 for information about the leader. The criminal complaint cites an anonymous source who accused Espinoza Martinez of being a “prominent member of the Latin Kings.”
The trial is expected to last a few days and will include testimony from federal agents along with excerpts from a videotaped interview Espinoza Martinez gave to authorities after the arrest. Bovino is not expected to testify.
If convicted, Espinoza Martinez faces up to 10 years in prison.
“Putting a price on the life of a law enforcement officer is a line that can never be crossed,” US Attorney Andrew Boutros said in an October statement announcing the charges.
Scrutiny of agents’ use of force followed operations in Los Angeles, Chicago and Washington. New Orleansand currently in Twin Cities, Minnesota. The arrests carried out by armed and masked agents led to numerous protests and severe confrontations in every region.
In the Chicago area, more than 4,300 people were arrested for alleged immigration violations in the crackdown that began in September. Bovino indicated that immigration operations in Chicago will intensify again in the coming months.