Latin Kings Threats Against Federal Agents in Chicago
Executive Summary
The Latin Kings street gang in Chicago has reportedly issued a “shoot on sight” order targeting Border Patrol agents participating in Operation Midway Blitz, a federal initiative to apprehend illegal alien criminals in the Chicago area. The warning follows escalating violence during federal operations in the city, including a recent shooting directed at Border Patrol agents and multiple mob attacks against law enforcement convoys. Homeland Security and law enforcement sources describe the situation as an emerging domestic threat against federal personnel, with gang leadership directly authorizing lethal action in retaliation for disrupted criminal activity.
Analysis
The gang’s directive represents a significant escalation in organized criminal hostility toward federal law enforcement and appears motivated by the impact of ongoing immigration enforcement efforts on its operations and membership. The threat environment in Chicago now mirrors aspects of domestic terrorism targeting law enforcement, with the potential for violence to spread beyond immigration operations if not contained.
On November 8, 2025, Customs and Border Protection allegedly issued an internal Officer Safety Alert stating that Latin Kings leadership authorized members to shoot immigration officers “on sight” involved in Operation Midway Blitz in Chicago and nearby areas, urging agents to exercise extreme caution during enforcement actions.
Two days earlier, a man fired several shots at Border Patrol agents in Chicago’s Little Village neighborhood during an immigration operation. DHS confirmed the attack and described multiple violent encounters that day, including four vehicle rammings, mob assaults, and the throwing of bricks and paint cans at agents.
In October 2025, Homeland Security Investigations arrested Latin Kings member Juan Espinoza Martinez after he placed a $10,000 bounty on U.S. Border Patrol Chief Gregory Bovino via Snapchat. DHS reported Espinoza’s arrest in Illinois and described his solicitation of murder against a senior law enforcement official as part of a wider pattern of gang-directed violence.
DHS officials have stated that these attacks, fueled by political rhetoric and local resistance to immigration enforcement, mark an “unprecedented” level of aggression against federal officers in Chicago.
The Latin Kings’ threats follow a pattern of retaliatory violence commonly seen when law enforcement disrupts criminal revenue streams, particularly human smuggling and narcotics trafficking linked to immigrant populations. Operation Midway Blitz’s large-scale arrests—over 900 by early October—likely degraded the gang’s manpower and funding, prompting leadership to reassert control through intimidation and violence. The situation in Little Village, where community unrest coincided with the shooting incident, illustrates how gang propaganda and anti-federal sentiment can converge to create conditions favorable for violent escalation. Federal officials’ language now characterizes the threat as “domestic terrorism-level” in both organization and intent.
