The Latin Kings street gang has reportedly issued a “shoot on sight” order against Customs and Border Protection agents in Chicago, prompting a security alert from federal authorities.
CBP officials say the threat surfaced in an internal intelligence alert distributed to agents involved in ongoing enforcement operations. The order allegedly came from senior members of the Latin Kings in response to increased federal activity across the city.
“Officer/agents are reminded to maintain heightened situational awareness and exercise extreme caution when conducting enforcement activities,” the intelligence bulletin obtained by NewsNation reads.
Why It Matters
Tensions remain high in Chicago two months into Operation Midway Blitz, the Trump administration’s immigration enforcement effort targeting undocumented individuals with criminal records. The operation is part of a wider effort by the Republican government to carry out increased immigration arrests and widespread removals as part of an aggressive mass deportation policy.
Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) and U.S. Border Patrol officers have arrested more than 1,000 migrants without legal status under Midway Blitz, according to the DHS.
Protests against immigration raids and detention conditions have occasionally turned confrontational. Federal authorities say their actions are justified amid growing threats and attacks on agents, while a federal judge has sought to limit certain enforcement activities in the city.
What To Know
A Mexican national has been arrested in connection with a weekend shooting that targeted Border Patrol agents in Chicago, DHS said.
Shots were fired at federal agents Saturday during an immigration enforcement operation in the city’s Little Village neighborhood. DHS said a man driving a black Jeep opened fire on agents before fleeing the scene.
Chicago police responded to reports of gunfire, and an officer assigned to crowd control at the intersection was struck by a vehicle, authorities said.
In a social media post on Monday, DHS said the suspect was taken into custody and had previous convictions for aggravated unlawful use of a weapon in a vehicle, felony possession of a weapon, and illegal entry into the U.S.
Meanwhile, last month in Chicago, federal agents fired at a woman after their vehicles were reportedly surrounded by other cars, DHS said. Assistant Secretary Tricia McLaughlin said officers “fired defensive shots” at an armed U.S. citizen while patrolling the city.
City leaders and community advocates have raised concerns over the growing number of federal immigration raids and their impact on local trust in law enforcement. CBP maintains that agents must continue carrying out their duties despite the elevated risk.
The alert comes after a suspected Latin Kings gang member was charged with allegedly offering a bounty on U.S. Border Patrol Chief Gregory Bovino, the Department of Justice said. The Department of Homeland Security reported that Juan Espinoza Martinez, a Mexican national, entered the U.S. at an unknown date.
The Latin Kings, one of Chicago’s oldest and most organized street gangs, originated in the city’s Humboldt Park neighborhood in the 1950s and has since grown into a nationwide network with thousands of members. Law enforcement agencies describe the group as a hierarchical criminal organization involved in drug trafficking, weapons offenses, assaults, and other violent crimes.
The gang’s structure is known for its rigid code of conduct and symbolic identity. Members often display the group’s five-point crown emblem and wear black and gold colors. Federal authorities have pursued major racketeering cases against Latin Kings chapters in Illinois, New York, and other states, alleging crimes ranging from narcotics distribution to coordinated acts of violence.
In Chicago, the Latin Kings have long been a dominant force on the city’s West and Southwest sides, maintaining influence both on the streets and within correctional facilities.
Border Patrol has arrested at least 7 members of the Latin Kings gang nationwide, according to CBP data.
What People Are Saying
DHS said in a statement: “Nearly everyday we have seen violence, assaults, or smears against our officers in Chicago, including yesterday when agents vehicles were rammed multiple times and shots fired at them.”
Gregory Bovino, Chief Patrol Agent of the El Centro Sector in Southern California, who is leading operations in Chicago, told Fox News: “A shoot on sight threat for federal law enforcement is extremely concerning to us. We actually put that out in an intelligence bulletin to all federal law enforcement, especially Border Patrol.”
What Happens Next
Immigration enforcement operations are expected to continue in Chicago
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