Jury selection begins in alleged murder-for-hire plot of Border Patrol leader in Chicago

CHICAGO (AP) — Jury selection began Tuesday in the trial of a man accused of offering a $10,000 bounty for the life of a Border Patrol commander behind an immigration crackdown in Chicago last year.

Juan Espinoza Martinez, 37, faces one count of murder-for-hire. Federal prosecutors allege he’s a “ranking member” of the Latin Kings gang who offered a cash incentive for Gregory Bovino’s killing. The Border Patrol official has been the public face of the Trump administration’s combative immigration operations including in California, North Carolina and Minnesota.

Espinoza Martinez is the first person to be criminally tried in connection with the crackdown in and around the nation’s third-largest city. Bovino and the Trump administration have held up the case up as an example of increasing dangers faced by federal agents.

But a slew of federal lawsuits have fueled skepticism about the Trump administration’s narrative on the Chicago operation. Of the roughly 30 criminal cases stemming from Operation Midway Blitz, charges have been dismissed or dropped in about half. In a notable lawsuit that forced Bovino to sit for depositions, a federal judge found he lied under oath including about alleged gang threats.

Days ahead of Espinoza Martinez’s trial, prosecutors acknowledged they didn’t have evidence proving gang ties, leading U.S. Judge Joan Lefkow to bar questioning on the Latin Kings.

Espinoza Martinez, who has pleaded not guilty, wore a dark suit and tie to court and watched the proceedings intently. He’s been in federal custody since October when he was arrested.

Born in Mexico, he’s lived in the U.S. for more than 30 years. He does not have legal permission to stay in the United States.

His family and attorneys say he is not in a gang. The father of three worked as a carpenter.

“The evidence on Mr. Martinez’s intent is so weak,” defense attorney Jonathan Bedi told the judge before jurors were brought in.

Prosecutors allege Espinoza Martinez sent a Snapchat message in October to other gang members that read in part “10k if u take him down,” along with a picture of Bovino. He also allegedly offered $2,000 for information about the commander. The criminal complaint cites an anonymous source who accused Espinoza Martinez of being a “ranking member of the Latin Kings.”

The trial is expected to last a few days and feature testimony from federal agents along with excerpts of a video-taped interview Espinoza Martinez gave to authorities after arrest. Bovino is not expected to testify.

If convicted, Espinoza Martinez faces up to 10 years in prison.

“Putting a price on the life of a law enforcement officer is a line that can never be crossed,” U.S. Attorney Andrew Boutros said in an October statement announcing the charges.

Scrutiny on agents’ use of force has followed operations in Los Angeles, Chicago, New Orleans, and currently in the Twin Cities of Minnesota. The arrests by armed and masked agents have led to to numerous protests and intense standoffs in each region.

In the Chicago area, more than 4,300 people were arrested for alleged immigration violations in the crackdown that began in September. Bovino has signaled immigration operations in Chicago will ramp up again in the coming months.