A federal jury in Chicago acquitted Thursday an immigrant accused by the U.S. government of offering a reward to kill Greg Bovino, a senior Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) official and one of the most visible faces of the immigration raids pushed by President Donald Trump’s administration.
The defendant, Juan Espinoza Martinez, a carpenter and longtime Chicago resident, was facing federal charges after prosecutors accused him of promoting an alleged murder-for-hire through private messages on social media following an immigration raid that sparked protests in the city last fall.
Juan Espinoza Martinez was accused of planning to commit murder
Woke judge and jury have freed a gang member who tried to get Border Patrol Chief Greg Bovino murd*red.
This happened in Chicago. The judge excluded evidence proving Juan Espinoza Martinez was in a violent gang.
Martinez was caught placing a bounty on Bovino, but his defense … https://t.co/Hhm8gXOQbU pic.twitter.com/iMiFSYoMRr
– Paul A. Szypula 🇺🇸 (@Bubblebathgirl) January 23, 2026
According to prosecutors, Juan Espinoza Martinez allegedly disseminated messages offering money in exchange for attacking Bovino, who heads ICE operations in the region and has publicly advocated for tougher immigration enforcement.
During the trial, the defense argued that there was no evidence of actual criminal intent.
The attorneys argued that the messages attributed to Juan Espinoza Martinez consisted of posts forwarded from Facebook, used as a way to express anger and frustration over the presence of immigration agents in his neighborhood, but without any concrete plan or ability to carry out a violent act.
The defense stressed that there was no contact with hired killers, no delivery of money and no steps indicating an actual conspiracy.
One of the key points of the process was that the Government withdrew initial accusations linking the defendant to a criminal gang.
The judge in the case prohibited the prosecution from mentioning alleged links with criminal organizations, considering that there was insufficient evidence to support such claims.
This decision significantly weakened the prosecution’s case and was decisive for the final outcome.
The verdict represents a setback for the Justice Department in a context of growing tension over federal immigration policy.
Greg Bovino had publicly cited this process as an example of the alleged deterioration of public order in cities where protests against ICE raids are taking place.
However, the jury concluded that the evidence presented did not meet the standard necessary for a criminal conviction.
The ruling also comes at a particularly sensitive time.
Earlier Thursday, Bovino became a trend on social media after a video was released showing him throwing a chemical agent during a protest against ICE in Minneapolis, which generated criticism and questions about the use of force by federal authorities.
Tensions in Minneapolis and other cities have escalated since early January, when a federal agent shot a woman during an immigration raid, killing her.
This sparked protests, investigations and a legal dispute over the limits of federal agencies’ actions in immigration operations.
For the U.S. Hispanic community, the case underscores the fine line between free speech and criminal charges, as well as the climate of polarization surrounding current immigration policy.
It also highlights the importance of due process and the presumption of innocence, even in highly politicized and socially charged cases.
With information from EFE
