Jury Acquits Juan Espinoza Martinez In Alleged Bovino Bounty Plot
A jury found Juan Espinoza Martinez not guilty of murder-for-hire after less than four hours of deliberation in a Chicago federal trial.
Overview
A federal jury in Chicago acquitted 37-year-old Juan Espinoza Martinez on Thursday, Jan. 22, 2026, of a murder-for-hire charge that accused him of offering a $10,000 bounty for the killing of U.S. Border Patrol Commander Gregory Bovino, after jurors deliberated less than four hours.
Prosecutors alleged Espinoza Martinez sent Snapchat messages in October that included a photo of Gregory Bovino and texts such as "10k if you take him down," according to court documents and testimony.
Defense attorneys Dena Singer and Jonathan Bedi told jurors Espinoza Martinez had no intent to follow through and described the messages as "neighborhood gossip," while Assistant U.S. Attorney Minje Shin argued the crime was complete once the messages were sent.
The three-day trial included testimony from a paid government informant, 44-year-old Adrian Jimenez, and a judge barred the government's planned testimony about alleged ties to the Latin Kings, records show.
The verdict follows dismissals or dropped charges in about half of roughly 30 cases tied to Operation Midway Blitz, a pattern that has prompted federal reviews of prosecutions, records show and officials confirmed.
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