A federal jury is currently deliberating on a case involving a Chicago man accused of using Snapchat to orchestrate a murder-for-hire scheme aimed at a senior U.S. Border Patrol official. The key issue is whether his messages were a serious threat or just irresponsible online chatter.
The defense concluded its case on Wednesday in the federal trial of 37-year-old Juan Espinoza Martinez. He faces charges of attempting to hire someone to kill Border Patrol Commander at Large Greg Bovino, allegedly offering financial incentives via Snapchat, as reported by the Associated Press. Notably, Espinoza Martinez chose not to testify in his defense.
U.S. District Judge Joan Lefkow dismissed the jury for the day, instructing them to return on Thursday morning for closing arguments. The jury is then expected to receive the case for deliberation, according to the AP.
Prosecutors claim that Espinoza Martinez, unaware he was communicating with a government informant, sent Snapchat messages offering $2,000 for information on Bovino’s location and $10,000 for his elimination. The jury was presented with screenshots of these messages, some of which included a photo of Bovino, as detailed in the testimony referenced by the AP.
In one of the images, Border Patrol Commander Gregory Bovino is depicted in Kenner, Jefferson Parish, near New Orleans, Louisiana, during “Operation Catahoula Crunch” on December 6. (Madison Thorn/Anadolu via Getty Images)
During opening statements, federal prosecutors argued that the messages were not merely expressions of anger or political speech but constituted a calculated attempt to incite violence against a federal law enforcement official.
“This case is not about someone expressing strong views about immigration enforcement,” Assistant U.S. Attorney Minje Shin told jurors, according to the AP. Prosecutors maintain the messages showed intent, not joking or gossip.
Defense attorneys countered that Espinoza Martinez, a carpenter with little money in his bank account, was merely repeating rumors circulating on social media and in his neighborhood. His attorneys argued the messages amounted to “neighborhood gossip,” not a real plan to harm anyone, the AP reported.
Residents and protesters clash with United States Border Patrol agents and other federal agents in the Little Village neighborhood on Oct. 23, 2025 in Chicago, Illinois. The federal agents were in the area enforcing “Operation Midway Blitz.” Several people were arrested. (Joshua Lott/The Washington Post via Getty Images)
The government’s first witness was Adrian Jimenez, a construction company owner who had communicated with Espinoza Martinez about work and later turned over the Snapchat messages to authorities. Jimenez testified that he took the messages seriously and contacted a Homeland Security investigator he knew, according to the AP.
Jimenez acknowledged under questioning that he had a prior felony conviction, had served prison time and had previously been paid as a government informant, though he did not provide details, the AP reported. Defense attorneys questioned whether Jimenez truly believed the messages were a solicitation for murder.
“You’re not somebody that commits murder for hire, right?” defense attorney Dena Singer asked Jimenez.
“Nope,” Jimenez replied.
Espinoza Martinez’s younger brother, Oscar Espinoza Martinez, also testified for the defense, saying he saw a Facebook post about a rumored bounty before receiving the Snapchat messages and took them as a joke. “Nobody’s going to do that for $10K,” he testified, according to the AP.
The case stems from an investigation launched in October, when ICE Homeland Security Investigations received information from a confidential source indicating a hit had been placed on Bovino. Espinoza Martinez was arrested on Oct. 6 in Burr Ridge, Illinois.
People detained earlier in the day are taken to a parking lot on the far north side of the city before being transferred to an Immigration and Customs Enforcement facility on October 31, 2025, in Chicago, Illinois. (Jamie Kelter Davis/Getty Images)
Following the arrest, the Department of Homeland Security issued statements condemning the alleged plot.
“The arrest of this ruthless and violent member of the Latin Kings, a criminal organization notorious for its cruelty and disregard for the law, highlights the steadfast commitment of Homeland Security Investigations and our law enforcement partners to protect our communities and those who uphold justice,” Matthew Scarpino, Special Agent in Charge of HSI Chicago, said in the October release.
“Targeting a senior federal officer is a brazen and direct assault on the rule of law, and HSI will remain persistent in dismantling violent gangs like the Latin Kings that threaten public safety,” Scarpino added.
DHS Assistant Secretary Tricia McLaughlin also addressed the case following the arrest.
“Depraved individuals like Juan Espinoza Martinez — who do not value human life and threaten law enforcement — do NOT belong in this country,” McLaughlin said. “We will not allow criminal gangs to put hits on U.S. government officials and our law enforcement officers. Thanks to ICE and our federal law enforcement partners, this thug is off our streets and behind bars.”
“These attacks on our brave law enforcement officers must END,” McLaughlin added. “Secretary Noem has been crystal clear: If you threaten or lay a hand on law enforcement, you will be prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law.”
The Department of Justice is prosecuting Espinoza Martinez on one count of murder-for-hire. If convicted, he faces up to 10 years in federal prison, according to the AP.
Bovino did not testify at the trial. Closing arguments are scheduled for Thursday, after which the jury will begin deliberations.
Espinoza Martinez, who was born in Mexico, has lived in the United States for decades and does not have legal permission to remain in the country, according to federal authorities. In recorded interviews played for jurors, he denied threatening anyone or being a gang member and said he worked daily as a union laborer, the AP reported.
Stepheny Price covers crime, including missing persons, homicides and migrant crime. Send story tips to stepheny.price@fox.com.
