Trial of Chicago man accused of putting bounty on top Border Patrol leader sent to jury
January 22, 2026
The fate of a Chicago man accused of using Snapchat to circulate a $10,000 bounty on the life of a top Border Patrol commander rests in a federal jury’s hands. Juan Espinoza Martinez is charged with murder-for-hire in the first criminal trial out of the Chicago area immigration crackdown. Testimony lasted mere hours in the federal trial that’s the latest test of the Trump administration’s credibility on federal surges that’ve played out from Minnesota to Maine. If convicted, Espinoza Martinez faces up to 10 years. The defense says Espinoza Martinez was circulating neighborhood gossip but prosecutors say his words were serious.